ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — A one-time payment for essential workers is how the government is saying thank you to those who worked to keep society rolling through the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, says Premier Dwight Ball.
The federal government is providing about 80 per cent of the funding, with the rest coming from the province.
“As this pandemic has shown us, the term 'essential worker' does not just apply to first responders or those who work in health care,” said Ball.
“It also applies to those who work in a wide range of industries that people rely on every day.”
The program applies to 10 different sectors, as defined by the federal government, including energy and utilities, health care, finance, water, safety and manufacturing. Those who have worked in the 10 areas and worked between 190 and 560+ hours from March 15 to July 4 are eligible for a one-time payment between $600 and $1,500. There is a monthly income cap of $3,000 to be eligible for the program. Those who received the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) are not eligible for the program.
The goal is to get the cheques in the mail by the end of July, with employer submissions being accepted from July 6-30.
Employers will have to apply for the program on behalf of employees. Ball says self-employed people will also be able to apply for the program.
“As this pandemic has shown us, the term 'essential worker' does not just apply to first responders or those who work in health care." — Premier Dwight Ball
Ball says if outbreaks of COVID-19 flare up again, there could be another round of the program.
“If indeed we find ourselves in that situation, the analysis will then have to be done. What this is, is a recognition of the work that’s been done in the early days of this pandemic,” said Ball.
The provincial government is also throwing in an additional 10 per cent to pay for payroll costs for employers who take advantage of the program.
Snowmageddon workers still waiting
While the program announced on Monday is solely focused on those who worked through the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in this province, those who lost hours due to the Jan. 17 blizzard are still awaiting compensation.
Ball had no update on compensation for those workers, saying the federal government has not yet found a program to send money to the workers.
“The federal government at that particular time did not see any area where the EI program could support one region of the province, so there was no federal programs that would apply,” said Ball.
“That work and those discussions continue.”
Loblaws union braces for strike
On June 12, Loblaws employees were notified that the “essential pay” $2 per hour top-up given to workers through the COVID-19 pandemic would be halted.
Jerry Dias, national president of Unifor, says the union is preparing a strike vote if the $2 extra pay is not made permanent.
“It is our view that the pay premium must stay, permanently. Keeping it in place shows a commitment to employees now, as this pandemic continues to unfold, but it rectifies the depressed wages faced by workers over decades,” Dias wrote to Sarah Davis, president of Loblaws Cos. Ltd.
“It also goes a long way to recognizing the extraordinary effort that Loblaws’ employees put in each and every day to make this company profitable, and its executives very rich."
Twitter: @DavidMaherNL
