March 17, 2020
Union health-care brothers and sisters on the health-care frontlines
New Jersey’s – and America’s – spotlight is on union sisters and brothers who work as nurses, EMTs, doctors, medical technicians, nurse practitioners, nurses’ aides, occupational and physical therapists, and in other caring professions. Rightly so. They are putting their personal health and safety at risk to care for their patients. Hospitals, VA centers, nursing homes, assisted living, senior housing, memory-care homes, homes for the mentally and/or physically disabled, the New Jersey Department of Children and Families – every one of these is staffed by union members putting their patients and clients first.
The New Jersey State AFL-CIO thanks them, is proud of them, and is humbled by them. You are true heroes, shining examples of our shared values of unity and service.
It’s critical: Many tools are still needed
Our sisters and brothers especially in the health-care professions say there is a tight supply of personal protection equipment – PPE, for short – and other medical supplies for those workers in closest contact with COVID-19 patients. Some face shields and masks are coming to New Jersey from federal stockpiles, nurses unions are reporting, but if the outbreak intensifies and items do not arrive quickly enough and in large enough quantities, our health-care workers are deeply concerned.
The New Jersey State AFL-CIO is working closely with New Jersey’s U.S. senators and House members to urge the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to send more supplies to our state, and send them much more quickly.
Union brothers and sisters are first responders
Police and firefighters run toward danger, not away from it, and union members serving as first responders are everything their name says – they have been the first to respond and meet the needs of COVID-19 victims, even before details about the coronavirus were known.
The New Jersey State AFL-CIO says thank you, bless you, and stay healthy to our heroes who speed to stabilize an ever-shifting situation.
Union brothers and sisters as the unsung heroes
While all Americans learn to wash their hands for 20 seconds and wipe down their kitchen and bathroom counters to kill the virus, it’s the union workers who sanitize hospitals, schools, trains and train stations, airlines and airports – anyplace people gather. They’re working harder and faster than ever before, keeping all of us safe in ways that deserve more attention than they get.
Our union transit workers are on the job, too, dealing with the public in close contact.
The New Jersey State AFL-CIO sees everything you do and is deeply grateful. We sing your praises so you are no longer “unsung.”
We’ll let a TV superstar take this one
Shonda Rhimes, the New Jersey State AFL-CIO agrees with you.
Because the kids are home
Item courtesy of www.thehill.com
Scholastic is offering free online courses for children as school closures sweep the nation amid the coronavirus outbreak. The company’s digital learning hub is accessible on all devices, including smartphones, and requires no sign-up, the company announced Friday.
The Scholastic Learn At Home program offers three hours of learning per day with up to four weeks of instruction. Users are asked to choose a grade level, separated into pre-K and kindergarten, first and second grade, third through fifth grade, and sixth grade and above.
Two large testing centers on the way
Gov. Phil Murphy and Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency is helping the state set up COVID-19 testing centers at Bergen County Community College in Paramus and PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel. Until those centers are set up – which at this writing is “soon” – people who show all the symptoms of high fever, runny nose, sore throat, cough, and difficulty breathing (severe cases) should call their primary health care professional and schedule a test.
Our brothers and sisters in the building trades stand ready to assist.
But walk-in unemployment centers are closed; online or phone only
In-person unemployment insurance services are temporarily suspended at all New Jersey One-Stop Career Center offices. Anticipated re-opening is in two weeks, on Monday, March 30.
If you need to file for unemployment insurance, please apply online at MyUnemployment.nj.gov. Phone lines are jammed and wait times are long. If you file online, your claim will be processed in the fastest way possible.
If you are unable to access the internet, please call:
North Jersey: 201-601-4100
Central Jersey: 732-761-2020
Southern Jersey: 856-507-2340
He Said It
“I’m reminded of Sheriff Brody in ‘Jaws.’ … When he finally turned around and got a look at the shark, he said, ‘We’re going to need a bigger boat.’ And what you’re hearing from us today is a bigger boat. We’ve seen the enemy, and we don’t want to be dragged by the enemy.”
— Gov. Phil Murphy