Reopening all businesses would be an economic disaster if workers were not sure

We have been locked up for two months, but very little has been done to ensure that when businesses reopen, workers will be able to return safely.

Companies have gone to great lengths to make consumers feel secure, which makes good business sense. Customers are few, but workers are not.

But if workers cannot be sure too, the coronavirus would start to spread quickly again, leading to a second peak that is more lethal and more prevalent than the first. The economy would contract again as consumers and workers stay at home.

“A full recovery of the economy will depend on how well society controls the pandemic,” said Boston Federal Reserve chairman Eric Rosengren. “If consumers are afraid to eat, shop, travel, loosening the laws can do little to bring customers, and therefore jobs.”

Follow the progress of the economy on MarketWatch Coronavirus Recovery Tracker

The opportunity was lost

We were presented with a false option: to endure even more months of blockade and economic activity in a coma, or to reopen everything and act as if the virus go like magic

There is no ideal path to follow, but there is a third path that values ​​both life and the economy. Of course, any company that can reopen safely should do so, but at the same time, we must continue our efforts to limit infections until scientists invent effective vaccines and therapies.

It will be a long job and now is not the time to let our guard down.

We don’t have enough evidence, we don’t do enough contact tracing, and we don’t effectively isolate those who are infectious.

Worse yet, we have a lot of people who actively resist anything that can protect others, such as keeping their distance or wearing a mask. The most dangerous people in America are the ones who encourage us to believe that it is a virtue to ignore common sense and medical advice. The red pill

it won’t protect us, nor will it hydroxychloroquine

Instead of giving businesses advance advice on how to operate safely, the federal government has told them to do so. The clear message from the Secretary of the White House and the Treasury is that the health of the American people should be in the background in the face of economic growth. Detailed Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention They were censored by the White House and finally released without fanfare on Tuesday after many businesses had already reopened.

Lily:States continue to reopen after coronavirus blockade: Texas leads series of actions before Memorial Day holiday weekend

The voice of workers

The Trump administration has refused to adopt any regulations to ensure that workers are not exposed to infectious diseases. Few attempts have been made to ensure that each industry develops and follows best practices in worker safety.

It is not completely unnecessary. Many small businesses do the right thing because the owners are also the workers. Strongly unionized industries, such as casinos in Las Vegas and automakers in Detroit, for example, seem to have heard the concerns of their workers.

But most workers have no say. If your employer calls you back after a leave, he must leave or lose your unemployment check AND your employment and health insurance (if you are lucky).

If workers feel that working conditions are too risky, they have no choice but to resign. The federal agency supposed to protect workers at work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, has announced that You will not be involved. The AFL-CIO filed a lawsuit against OSHA on Monday, demanding that you protect workers.

Workers at risk could sue their employers for exploiting a death trap, but such prosecutions are rarely successful. Good luck with showing that you have coronavirus at work, and not elsewhere.

Currently, the main priority of the majority in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, is to enact laws to grant employers immunity from such prosecutions.

Also read:: Companies do not need special immunity from liability for the coronavirus. Mitch McConnell is wrong about an “avalanche” to come from “frivolous” lawsuits

Like always, Mitch has it completely upside down. He believes that “Americans on the front lines of this fight should receive strong protection[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[wait for it] frivolous requests ”.

Silly, I thought Americans on the front lines needed protection from the coronavirus. But you and I both know that the real scourge to be eliminated is the regulation that has been won so much and that protects workers and the public.

Thousands of infected workers

We already know the risks of working in a dangerous environment. In workplaces that remained open during this first period of the pandemic, thousands of workers were infected and many died. Meat packing factories, nursing homes, prisons, public transportation and hospitals have been particularly dangerous places to work.

The danger will now extend to the reopening of factories, offices, shops, schools, churches and other places of business across the country, unless they are first required to prove that they have done everything reasonable to ensure the safety of their workplace. .

People are desperate for income, and many will receive paychecks, even though there is an increased risk of becoming infected and spreading a terrible disease to their loved ones.

No one should have to make this decision when we can do better.

The people at the front understand it – This is why there have been numerous demonstrations in the workplace across the country to demand that safety comes before profit. You probably haven’t seen the news because these protesters are not heavily armed and have no pocket sponsors to spread the word on social media.