KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Safety is a concern for many frontline workers, including those responsible for keeping hospitals clean.
Ernesto Rodriguez works several jobs, including one as a cleaner at Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City.
He said the coronavirus is a concern for him and his fellow workers.
"There's a lot of us that have to walk up to the floors where the patient rooms are, and we don't know how close the virus could be to us when we can't even see it," he said.
Rodriguez said he manages any concern of the virus by remaining focused on his job duties.
"I don't let it get to me because I'm used to that kind of environment when you're at the stadium," Rodriguez said. "There's a lot of things that you got to rush through when we get really busy. It's kind of like that, like going through adrenaline."
Rodriguez is a member of the Service Employees International Union.
The Missouri state director for the union sent a statement saying the workers they represent deserve protections, such as being vaccinated for COVID-19.
"Now that the COVID-19 vaccine has been approved, it is vital that it be distributed fairly, equitably and with an acknowledgment of our country's shameful history of racism that has sowed deep distrust in communities of color, including the frontline health care workers we represent,” SEIU Healthcare Missouri State Director Lenny Jones said.
Another issue the SEIU said is important is workers receiving a $15 minimum wage.
Saint Luke’s Health System, which employs Rodriguez, announced in November that employees would receive a $15 minimum wage.
“Each Saint Luke’s employee plays a vital role in our mission of delivering excellence in health care. And that has never been clearer than during these long months of the COVID pandemic,” Saint Luke's President and CEO Melinda Estes said.
