Four U.S. representatives have called on the Federal Transit Administration to take stronger measures to protect transit workers in light of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Tom Malinowski (D-NJ), Seth Moulton (D-MA) and Don Bacon (R-NE) issued a letter to the Acting Administrator of the FTA to make mandatory guidelines the FTA issued for transit workers regarding personal protective equipment and safety policies recently issued in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The FTA issued new guidelines for safety after Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act – a $2.2 trillion economic stimulus package to provide financial relief to corporations, industries, and individuals.
Over 140 other members of Congress have also signed the letter to show their support.
“In the brief time since Congress passed this historic funding, we have already seen the tragic death of frontline transit workers as a result of the novel coronavirus. Bus drivers, station agents, cleaners, and other frontline transit workers are contracting the virus at a rate much higher than the general public. Nationally, at least 60 transit workers have died as a result of COVID-19,” the representatives wrote.
The lawmakers also asked the FTA to enact other safety recommendations including:
Ensuring that buses, trains, streetcars, and worker facilities, including crew rooms, are regularly disinfected,
Requiring agencies to ensure a safe distance between riders and transit operators,
Taking safety precautions to protect transit workers from touching the same digital screen, keyboard, or fingerprint-scanning device, e.g., for timekeeping purposes,
And providing transit workers with death benefits.
“Our transit workers are out there every day, risking exposure to COVID-19 to provide vital services. The FTA should require public facilities, including buses and trains, to be disinfected, and enforce safe distancing between riders and transit operators,” Fitzpatrick said. “Taking these steps, in addition to current FTA guidance, will better protect our workers.”
In recent weeks, several groups have called for stronger protections for workers deemed essential workers by federal and statewide authorities. The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, which represents grocery store employees, recently asked grocery store and food workers be termed “temporary first responders” to ensure that they are given priority in getting personal protective equipment.
Lawmakers want safety assurances for transit workers who work so that other frontline workers, like doctors, nurses, and grocery store employees, can get to their jobs.
“Just last week, a long-time conductor on the Raritan Valley Line running through my district passed away due to COVID-19,” Malinowski said. “Our transit workers are risking their lives by going to work each day so that other essential workers – doctors, nurses, first responders – can continue to get to work. The very least we can do is provide them with a safe environment in which to do their jobs.”
The letter was supported by the Transport Workers Union International (TWUI).
“Thank you to Congressman Malinowski, Congressman Fitzpatrick, Congressman Moulton, and Congressman Bacon for fighting to protect frontline transit workers, who have been risking their health and that of their families every single day during this crisis. The FTA must issue requirements about providing PPE and mandating proper social distancing on board public transit before more brave workers are needlessly thrown in harm’s way,” said TWUI President John Samuelsen.