FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 20th, 2021
Media Contact: Dan Morris.917.952.8920.
Top Advocate for New York’s Essential Workers Urges Cuomo to Sign NY Hero Act Immediately
New York – Maritza Silva-Farrell, top advocate for essential workers, and executive director of ALIGN, released the following statement today calling on Governor Cuomo to sign the NY HERO Act immediately. Her statement follows on the heels of the New York State Assembly and Senate passing the NY HERO Act (S.1034A/A02681-B), a bill that will protect millions of workers and businesses on the frontlines of the COVID pandemic.
“The NY HERO Act is critical for New York’s recovery from COVID. It will save lives, jobs, and businesses. The state legislature was right to pass this crucial COVID safety bill, and now Governor Cuomo must sign it immediately and implement it quickly. The NY HERO Act will ensure that millions of New Yorkers can do their jobs safely and businesses can reopen without risking more COVID outbreaks. This is how we will build back our state better than ever before and become a model for the rest of the country,” said Maritza Silva-Farrell, Executive Director of ALIGN, which coordinated the NY Essential Workers Coalition, a coalition of 85 unions, worker centers, and community organizations representing millions of workers across the state to push for passage of the NY HERO Act.
“State Senator Mike Gianaris and Assembly Member Karines Reyes deserve praise for their leadership in passing the NY HERO Act and prioritizing the health and safety of essential workers. Now Governor Cuomo must follow their lead and sign this bill to protect the essential workers who sacrificed so much throughout the COVID pandemic.”
The NY HERO Act will be the first law in the country to create permanent and enforceable standards for workplace health and safety to stop the spread of COVID and other infectious diseases. Those standards will cover face masks, PPE, social distancing, hand hygiene, disinfection, and improve airflow. The NY HERO Act will also give workers a bigger voice in developing joint employee and employer Health and Safety Committees that will create stronger, healthier workplaces for all.
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