Essential workers provide a lifeline in the coronavirus lockdown. Will America reward their sacrifice?

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With millions of Americans down orders to stay home In the coronavirus pandemic, workers such as grocery store employees, bus drivers and delivery people have become an indispensable lifeguard. Often unnoticed i undervalued for society, they now put yourself at risk so that everyday life can continue to function.

CBS Reports spoke to a handful of these essential workers, and while many expressed pride in their work, some can’t help but fear for their own safety and that of their families.

The grocery store worker

“Hello, do you need help around here?”

Even in such uncertain times, Jacqueline Torres maintained a friendly demeanor by helping customers in the prepared food section at a Northgate market in Los Angeles. Torres lived in Mexico City most of her life and worked as a teacher. She moved to the United States eight years ago, without speaking English, but can now easily have conversations with English-speaking clients.

“Everything changed for me,” he said. “Now I’m working on something very different, but work is important.”

Historically, immigrants have always been a major workforce in the U.S., but they have proven to be especially vital in this crisis. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s U.S. community survey, as of 2018, 30% of essential supermarket and grocery store workers in California were born overseas.

“I think we always have soldiers and people in the army who give their lives for this country,” Torres said. “I don’t feel like a soldier, but I’m trying to do my best for the community, for my people who were with me every day, and for my family.”

The bus driver

The bus system is a crucial service for many people trying to get to work, especially for lower-income travelers, and these days public transportation is even more important to carry essential workers such as health workers. where they should go.

“And now they call us disaster relief workers.” said Vorice Lombard, a 20-year veteran Los Angeles subway bus operator.

“It’s funny because it’s written on the back of our ID. It says a disaster relief worker. We never implemented it because we never had a disaster.”

In New York City, MTA employees have been particularly affected by COVID-19: more than 1,500 have tested positive and at least 41 have died. A bus driver in Detroit he died of the disease after sounding the alarm on a woman who was coughing openly on her bus.

But Lombard said he believes the safety precautions set for LA drivers, including the use of gloves and masks, are sufficient and that he does not feel anxious.

“I am honored to come to work because I am doing my part in a disastrous situation, I have my part,” he said.

The dealer

As restaurants close their doors to dinner customers and millions of Americans are locked up at home, food delivery workers are more crucial than ever. Cameron, an Uber Eats and Postmates messenger who asked not to use his last name, said he was proud of his job.

“I have no doubt that I have given a delicious meal to someone who is fed up with what is in the cupboard, who has been told by their doctor to isolate it for 14 days, and I am making my day a little better. , “He said.

Most couriers and drivers for shared delivery and travel applications, including the Instacart grocery delivery application, are independent contractors. This classification allows them to control their own flexible working hours, but also disables them for benefits such as minimum wage guarantees, overtime, and health insurance.

“I like the look of being an independent contractor,” Cameron said, “… but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be entitled to a certain amount of benefits or if something happens while you work, I don’t how would you do it [as a full-time employee]. “

He $ 2 trillion relief package approved by Congress extends unemployment benefits to independent contractors, who do not normally have access to them. But there are some barriers and gaps it can leave many helpless.

The cashier at the supermarket

Sandy, who asked that her last name not be used, picked up a plastic bag with personal supplies that she takes to work at a Los Angeles grocery store, which included Clorox wipes, Lysol, gloves, disinfectant, and Kleenex. “This is basically like my new bag,” he said.

His mask hid most of his face. He considers his workplace to be a dangerous environment and has felt such severe anxiety that he sometimes had trouble breathing.

“In my profession, I have no idea what I’m getting into,” he said. “I don’t know if customers are carriers or not carriers or potential carriers, so I’m just trying to be safety first.”

Sandy is part of a small minority of grocery store employees who belong to a union. A 2014 report found that unionized grocery store workers earned about $ 3 more per hour than those who were not in a union, but wages have remained relatively low and Sandy believes the risk pay she offers his employer is meager, only $ 2 more for every hour and $ 3 more for overtime.

Despite his suspicions, he does not have the financial flexibility to stay home without working.

“Unfortunately, including myself, a lot of people in the grocery industry have to keep working to support their family,” he said. “To be honest, my husband is not very well and we depend on my medical benefits, so I have no choice. I have to pay my bills. I have no choice. I have a daughter in college and we are paying most of the “I don’t want to disappoint her. I don’t have a choice right now.”

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• COVID-19[feminine]