U.S. Senate Democrats announced a proposal Tuesday that has been circulating at the state level in California for a couple of weeks: extra pay for workers who risk exposure to coronavirus.

The proposal calls for a pay increase of about $13 per hour through the end of the year for “front-line” workers including health and home care workers, first responders and others in public-facing positions.

The proposed “Heroes Fund,” as envisioned by the Democrats, would include state workers along with federal and private-sector employees. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has identified the proposal as a top priority for Democrats, but the measure doesn’t yet have any Republican co-sponsors, according to NPR.

Some California state unions have been advocating for incentives for employees who have to keep going in to work each day.

The California Association of Psychiatric Technicians, a union representing health care workers in state mental health institutions, has advocated for hazard pay or another incentive, said Coby Pizzotti, a lobbyist who represents the union.

“Our members are working side by side, they’re treating, they’re screening people that now have (COVID-19) cases,” Pizzotti said. “We’re not on islands. We’re in the middle of it.”

Aside from extra pay, the union has floated additional days off or temporary housing to help workers avoid spreading the disease to their families.

“I think it is absolutely the right conversation to have,” said Yvonne Walker, president of SEIU Local 1000, the state’s largest public employee union.

Walker said the discussion around additional compensation should include people such as custodians who are working abnormal schedules to clean offices and Employment Development Department workers she said are working 14-hour days to process unemployment insurance claims.

She said the state could start by processing special raises that she said still haven’t been paid to certain groups of workers, including EDD call center employees and case records analysts in the state corrections department, that were included in the contract the union reached with the state last year.

The International Union of Operating Engineers, which represents state maintenance workers, has put in a more aggressive proposal as the union bargains for a new contract.

The union proposed essential workers receive one hour of administrative time off for each hour worked while Gov. Gavin Newsom’s emergency declaration remains in effect, up to 173 hours. The hours of administrative time off would allow them to take paid days off later.

“We’re trying to make the point that you’ve got to balance out the equity of this,” said Steve Crouch, the union’s director of public employees. “What about the people out there on the front line who are still doing the jobs? We’re trying to find some recognition for those folks.”

Crouch said he submitted the proposal to the California Department of Human Resources March 13. He said CalHR told him this week the department is still reviewing it.

“We’re grateful for all the important work state employees are doing through these trying times, and we’re constantly evaluating the changing circumstances and the best way to provide services and keep employees safe,” CalHR spokesman Andrew LaMar said in an emailed statement.

Some local governments have already elected to provide an incentive to their front-line workers. The City of San Francisco is giving front-line workers who must continue reporting to work an additional eight hours of paid time off for each 40 hours they work, up to 80 hours of additional floating holiday time, under a supplemental emergency proclamation from Mayor London Breed.

Similarly, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors on March 17 approved an hour of administrative leave for each hour worked by its essential employees for a three-week period, according to an email to employees.

Carrie Lane, chief executive officer of the California Association of Highway Patrolmen, said the union doesn’t have the opportunity to make a hazard pay proposal since it isn’t in contract negotiations.

“However, if the State of California were to develop a hazard pay benefit for all California first responders, our membership would certainly fall into that category and as such, we’d pursue the matter on behalf of our members,” Lane said in an email.

The California Correctional Peace Officers Association did not respond to a request for comment.

This story was originally published April 9, 2020 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Extra pay for essential workers? California state unions press for coronavirus incentives."