BY THE VILLAGE SUN | Hard on the heels of a hunger strike they recently staged, home health attendants will be rallying at City Hall on May Day, calling for an end to “24-hour workdays.”
The coalition in support of the workers has been growing. A number of politicians are expected to speak at the Wed., May 1, noon rally.
Their employers argue that the health attendants are able to sleep for a good part of their full-day shift. But the workers counter they must frequently get up in the middle of the night to care for their charges — and that this grueling duty, in turn, is terrible for their own physical and mental health, plus that they are not being paid accordingly.
The workers and advocates are calling on Council Speaker Adrienne Adams to get the City Council to pass legislation to split the healthcare workers’ workday into two 12-hour shifts.
They deserve 8-hour days with full benefits, like other people. Not 12-hour days. Hell, they deserve the best! They’re essential workers.