As Massachusetts gets hit with a record number of COVID-19 cases, Local 888 is calling on the city of Boston to return to a telework policy and reward essential workers with hazard pay.
In a Dec. 22 letter to the new mayor, union President Tom McKeever urged Michelle Wu to think outside the box as “residents of Boston prepare for the onslaught of the Omicron variant and the anticipated fallout of yet another phase of a pandemic that is about to enter year three.”
He added that “moving quickly to reinstate full telework will … send a much-needed message to many managers who (are) unnecessarily directing employees back to the office who have historically proven to be more productive when engaging in telework.” At the same time, he wrote, “the hard work in determining telework eligibility and scheduling has already been done by prior administrations and your team.”
As for those city employees who can’t work from home, McKeever said, “It is critical that we are prepared to compensate our in-person workforce in a timely manner. (They) should not have to wait for just reward while keeping the city of Boston functioning.”
For the full text, of McKeever’s letter to the mayor, see www.facebook.com/SEIULocal888/photos/a.174150202633018/4711286735585986/.