Fed-Up Minnesota Front Line Workers Testify on Bonus Pay

(KNSI) — Frontline workers frustrated with the legislature’s inability to come together on a bill for COVID-19 pandemic bonus pay are speaking out.

Workers from several industries testified at the Capitol as debate continued over who should get paid and how much they should get paid. One plan wants to give $1,500 to as many as 650,000 workers in fields like nursing, corrections, educators, and food service.

Chrissy Gamst is a caseworker at the Moose Lake Correctional Facility. She says when COVID outbreaks have surfaced at the prison, staff have had to juggle overlapping roles, adding, “essentially, what is happening is, the healthy are covering for the sick until the healthy become sick and the sick become healthy. It’s just a circle of taking care of one another.”

Gamst is a Minnesota Association of Professional Employees member and says she’s had to work extra shifts as a corrections officer. Those from other fields noted how not being able to work remotely has affected their mental health, including dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Mary Turner of the Minnesota Nurses Association described how frustrating it’s been to keep telling members a final agreement among policymakers has been out of reach. She also talked about how hospital workers have had to isolate themselves from their families to protect them from COVID-19, saying the verbal praise is nice, but they want compensation for all they’ve been through in the last two years. “You don’t have to call me an angel; you don’t have to call us heroes. But what we would like is just a little recognition for the work that we continue to do.”

A proposal, updated last week, calls for $1 billion to be given to workers. A previous proposal called for $250 million, but the $700 million increase was pitched when the Minnesota Management and Budget Office announced a record $7.7 billion surplus. Using surplus dollars for that pay may be a potential sticking point with some.

The debate will continue at the Capitol this week.

___

MNC Reporter Mike Moen contributed to this report.

___