Dear Northlanders,
We’re in the second week of the Minnesota Legislative session. My colleagues and I have full schedules of committee meetings as we work through plans to help reduce costs for Minnesotans and help people recover from the difficulties of the last two years. Here’s an update from Saint Paul.
Workers Comp Presumption for Frontline Workers
Last Thursday, we passed the first bill of the session – with strong bipartisan support – to extend the workers’ compensation presumption for public safety and health care workers who contract COVID-19. The law, which originally took effect in 2020, provides a presumption that if public safety or health care workers contract COVID-19, they did so during the course of their employment and are covered by workers’ compensation. The original law, however, expired December 31, 2021 leaving 183,000 frontline workers and their families without the guarantee of compensation in the event they contract COVID-19. The bill we passed Thursday extends the presumption to January 13, 2023.
Extending the workers’ compensation presumption for our first responders and health care workers is the right thing to do to protect their financial peace of mind should they contract COVID-19. Our frontline workers are still helping our state get through this pandemic, and as they work to keep other Minnesotans safe and healthy, we simply cannot leave them behind. That’s why it was so important for us to put this legislation on the fast track early this session and I was proud to support it. Governor Walz has now signed the bill into law.
Economic Security for Workers and Small Businesses
As we keep working to turn the corner beyond the pandemic and help everyone achieve the economic security they deserve, many workers, families, and businesses are still struggling with increased costs under an economy tilted against them. Lawmakers are tasked with two important actions early this session: deliver premium pay for workers on the front lines of the pandemic, and replenish the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund to ensure funding is there for workers who need it, and to prevent a tax increase on small businesses. This week, the House took quick action in committee toward resolving both of these issues.
Last session as part of our bipartisan two-year state budget, lawmakers dedicated $250 million toward extra pay for frontline workers. Ultimately though, a working group made up of members of the House, Senate, and Governor Walz’s administration couldn’t agree upon eligibility and the particular amounts to award. Recognizing that last year’s amount is inadequate to recognize the incredible sacrifices of frontline workers, this year, House DFLers are working to deliver payments up to $1,500, totaling $1 billion, to our healthcare and long-term care workers, educators, first responders, corrections officers, food service workers and others who didn’t have the option to work from home, and who faced the pandemic head-on. This bill passed out of the House Workforce and Business Development Committee, and I’ll hold a hearing on it in the House Labor Committee, which I chair, soon.
During the pandemic, Unemployment Insurance was a lifeline for many Minnesotans who were displaced from their jobs. The state’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund had a balance of $1.6 billion in February 2020, and now has a deficit of $1.2 billion. The Workforce Committee also approved legislation to pay back the deficit, mostly using American Rescue Plan funds. To address the deficit, the alternative would be a tax increase required from businesses directly to the trust fund which we’re looking to avoid. These are both urgent issues and I’m committed to helping our economy recover and help workers and families make ends meet.
Protecting Worker Safety
Health, safety, and dignity in the workplace – including fair pay – are values we should all share. Unfortunately, reports from workers at Amazon facilities are deeply troubling. According to a recent report from the National Employment Law Project, workers at Amazon’s Minnesota warehouses are getting injured at more than double the rate of non-Amazon warehouses, and more than four times the rate for all private industries in Minnesota.
This week, I chaired a hearing of the House Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee where we heard directly from Amazon workers in support of legislation to establish worker safety requirements for large warehouse distribution centers. Rigorous work quotas are responsible for the injuries, with Amazon using electronic monitoring to ensure workers keep up with the grueling pace they demand. When workers get hurt, we all suffer and we all share the costs. It is not too much to expect that every company operating in the state will prioritize worker safety, especially one with such a rapidly growing footprint as Amazon. And it’s our job as the legislature to ensure all Minnesota workers return safely home to their families at the end of the day.
Don’t hesitate to contact me with your feedback and ideas, or if I can ever be of assistance. It’s an honor to represent you.
Sincerely,
Rob Ecklund
State Representative