Wowkanech urges Assembly to pass bills aiding essential workers

New Jersey AFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanech urged the passage of bills that would require health care facilities to report the number of COVID-19 deaths and infections by their employees and provide additional monies to dependents of essential employees who died after contracting the virus.

“Now that all eyes are on the vaccine rollout, we can’t take our eyes off the ongoing need for nurses, health care professionals and other frontline workers to be protected from COVID-19 infection on the job,” Wowkanech said.

The State Senate has overwhelmingly approved both measures, which have cleared committees in the Assembly. It’s not clear when they’ll get a vote in the lower chamber.