NYAPRS Note: Here’s a powerful piece from Clarence Sundram, who has advanced quality of care and the rights of people with disabilities in New York and nationally for decades and who has served a Special Advisor to the Governor on Vulnerable Persons to Governor Cuomo. Clarence aptly emphasizes the extraordinary contributions that front line human service workers make, as magnified by the courage and dedication they are showing daily, in the face of the virus, and the imperative that they be properly compensated. Last week, state leaders enacted a budget that did not include the 3% increase for each of the next five years that human services advocates via the 3for5 campaign. Our hope is they will right this wrong the next time.
Direct Care Workers Deserve Combat Pay
By Clarence Sundram Letter to the Editor
Albany Times Union April 3, 2020
The COVID-19 crisis has brought home the vital importance of frontline direct care workers who staff hospitals, nursing homes, adult homes, services for children and people with disabilities, vocational and day programs of various types, and many, many others. These are the staff who cannot stay home and keep themselves safe not only because the people they serve absolutely depend on their availability but also because they cannot afford not to work.
We pay a lot of lip service to the value of this work. Eight years ago, in a report to Gov. Andrew Cuomo I wrote that these “jobs are compensated poorly, with many workers living at or near the poverty level or forced to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. One might summarize the job description of the direct support worker as requiring the wisdom of Solomon, the patience of Job and the caring of Florence Nightingale.” One of the hallmarks of value — payment of a living wage — generally does not exist.
We have made modest progress by increasing the minimum wage. Perhaps it is time to consider “combat pay” for workers who, in a very real way, are putting their health and lives on the line in the service of their fellow citizens.
Clarence J. Sundram
Delmar
Former Special Advisor to the Governor on Vulnerable Persons