As New York’s hospitality industry copes with the devastating economic consequences of the COVID-19 virus — restaurants and bars are laying off thousands — the public, private, and non-profit sectors are striving to ensure that the city’s 321,000 food and beverage workers maintain some economic security and access to healthcare.
Governor Andrew Cuomo has ended the seven-day waiting period for unemployment insurance for those who lose their job due to the virus. State officials have halted eviction proceedings indefinitely. Advocacy groups and high profile operators have been raising tens of thousands of dollars for hospitality workers. And the federal government is working on a plan to send direct cash payments to Americans as part of a $1 trillion stimulus package.
Here’s a full breakdown of who’s doing what to help workers.
The Federal Government
The Trump administration is working on a plan for up to two rounds of direct payments to Americans worth $250 billion each, the New York Times reports. The amounts of those payments could vary depending on income and family size, but might reach $2,000 between the two checks, per the Washington Post. Those payments are reminiscent of calls for a so-called Universal Basic Income, supported by Representative Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez and former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang.
Another part of the potential stimulus would involve $300 billion for small business loans equaling six weeks of payroll — up to $1,540 per worker, per the Times.
On Wednesday, March 18, the Senate passed a bill that includes free virus testing, aid for food assistance programs, and paid sick leave, a vital protection for hospitality workers who come into contact with hundreds everyday as part of takeout or delivery. New York City regulations limit the sick time to the equivalent of five days, a benefit that doesn’t kick in until after 120 hours of work. The federal bill, however, would allow up to two weeks of immediate leave in the novel coronavirus-related quarantines or illness.
That federal measure doesn’t apply to large companies with over 500 employees, while certain smaller ones under 50 can apply for waivers, but a similar New York State bill that governor Andrew Cuomo signed last night appears to fill in some of those loopholes.
The Restaurants
As federal policy debates continue, smaller grass roots-level efforts are popping up. Restaurant groups and individual venues like Union Square Hospitality, Matter House (Altro Paradiso, Estela, Flora Bar), Grove Street (Lilia, Misi), the Riddler (NY, SF), Atoboy and Atomix, Fausto, Olmsted and Maison Yaki the Wildair and Contra crew, the Hart’s, the Fly, and Cervo’s crew, and the Adda, Rahi, And Masalawala teams and are holding online fundraisers for their staffers. The folks behind Lilia have already raised over $44,000, while the team behind Estela has collected about $51,000 in pledges.
Josh Ku and Trigg Brown’s Taiwanese-American Win Son have created a separate relief fund for undocumented workers. That vulnerable group, who make up a significant portion of the hospitality industry, stand to lose the most in this crisis as they’re ineligible for unemployment insurance and often have trouble accessing the formal health care system.
Ex-Workers and Non-Profits
Ex-staffers are making a sizable dent in the fundraising scene as well. Former Momofuku beverage director John deBary helped raise $68,000 this week for his Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation. The non-profit, per its mission statement, will use the funds for workers facing hardships, for charitable gifts to other organizations helping the restaurant community, and for providing zero-interest loans.
DeBary also says he hopes to help other charitable organizations manage their money.
The Service Worker’s Coalition, founded by ex-Andrew Tarlow workers Seamus Branch, Kelly Sullivan, and Anna Dunn, said it raised $4,500 last week for sick or quarantined workers, a number that has since gone up to over $30,000. The group said it has already disbursed over $3,000 in direct relief. It plans to offer laid off workers a $50-a-week grocery and pharmacy stipend.
Sullivan also called for better child care, halting any contact with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, compensating hourly employees during temporary closures, and for the “dignity of service workers to be acknowledged.” She added that restaurant workers are “pillars of the community. We refuse to let this crisis allow us to be installed as a permanent underclass for the wealthy.”
This piece has been updated to add more measures. Send any additional information to tips@eater.com.