Labor Day: Fast Food Workers Rally for Protections; Pandemic Unemployment Benefits End

Just before the Labor Day travel rush, cooks and cashiers at the I-95 service plazas gathered at the Darien northbound plaza to raise alarms of health and safety practices by McDonalds and other companies that risk spreading COVID-19 Delta variant. 

“Workers at rest stops on I-95, I-15 and I-395 are facing conditions that jeopardize them, their families, and countless highway travelers and their home communities,” said Rochelle Palache Vice President of 32BJ SEIU, which has been supporting service plaza workers organizing for better conditions.

“Many workers have been denied knowledge of their paid sick time, and very few are earning Standard Wage, which includes benefits like health insurance,” she said.

“Now, the Delta variant is surging while bosses at giant name brands such as McDonald’s and Subway ease off masking and social distancing.”

“ We are proud to stand with these workers to let McDonald’s, Subway, Sbarro, Dunkin Donuts know that failing to assure worker health and safety means failing every customer as well. After more than a year and a half, we’re still all in this together,” said Palache.

Others speaking at the rally including State Reps. David Michel and Corey Paris of Stamford, and McDonald's service plaza worker Azucena Santiago, emphasized that as the Delta surge peaks, workers need adequate PPE and clear sick day policies for maximum personal and public safety.

Pndemic Unemployment Benefits Expire

Meanwhile, the federal pandemic unemployment $300 weekly benefit included in the CARES Act expires over the Labor Day weekend on September 4. There are 129,000 people in Connecticut now collecting unemployment insurance.

In addition, the federal High Extended Benefits (HEB) program ends on September 11.

While the number of new unemployment claims has been dropping for several months, Connecticut is in the top ten states with highest unemployment since the pandemic.

Dante Bartolomeo, Interim Labor Commissioner said that new job openings are being added weekly.

The impact of the expiration of pandemic unemployment benefits as the Delta variant surges places many families in jeopardy. For those who find a new job after extended unemployment, a $1,000 bonus is being made available through the CT Department of Revenue Services.