I work “full time” for a hotel. A cog in Vancouver’s tremendous tourism industry. Since I started work here, the fact that my contract stipulates “full time” availability with zero guaranteed hours has laid cold and squirming in the back of my mind, a worm undermining the small sense of security that comes with regular work. When I received my latest schedule (only three days in advance for each week mind you) that worried worm burst forth into reality. I had no shifts. Nobody had shifts.
Now, we all knew this was possible. “Corona” had been in the collective consciousness of the workplace for weeks, and we as workers in an area with high international traffic were aware that we were at higher risk – and so in an individual and uncoordinated fashion began taking modest precautions before the weight of the crisis became clear. Fist bumps became elbow bumps, hand washing and sanitizer use became significantly more frequent. But an empty hotel in a global pandemic is completely beyond control, and we were all more or less aware that a crisis would impact us acutely. We knew that not only were we at elevated risk of contracting the virus, but that the global situation could easily put us all out of work.
Through all this, management’s handling was sub-par. Despite the highly contagious and virulent nature of COVID-19, no particular plan was put in place to allow for those without accumulated sick leave to take time off. “Stay home if you’re sick” they said, taking it as a given that such a necessary and obvious measure would not prevent someone from making rent. To their credit, they made sure cleaning supplies were readily available and hand sanitizer dispensers appeared in greater numbers. But no assurances were made for what would happen if an employee actually contracted the virus, no plan went into action to prevent employees who had travelled recently from taking shifts inside of the 14 day isolation window. When such an employee actually tested positive for COVID-19, management resoundingly failed. Health Canada had assessed the transmission risk as low, so we remained open (though that changed this week). Yet despite this incident, no policy regarding workers returning from travel materialized, nor were any other measures taken. As well, the lack of communication has been obscene. At the time of writing it has been a week since that news broke, and yet there remains no official statement made to the workers. We all found out through the grapevine of course, but the only word from the boss was to tell us what we already knew, and to instruct us not to say anything to the press.
Let’s take a step back from my workplace however.
Many workers, especially those in the service industry, are now finding themselves without pay. Sure, employment insurance is available, but who knows how long that will take to kick in. Half of Canadians live paycheque to paycheque. Even assuming a fast-tracked processing period, it is questionable whether the income replacement will even be enough. Besides that, precarious gig workers, people in the informal economy and contractors may not have access to EI at all. Yet rent, utility bills, loan payments all remain due. How many will fall below the poverty line due to the crisis? How many might lose the roof above their head?
But it doesn’t have to be like this.
The free market cannot sustain us during this crisis. We need in the short-term a moratorium on rent, on mortgage payments and on loan payments in general. No evictions or repossessions, and substantive financial support to all of the economically vulnerable. In the long term, we need an economy that is organized for the fulfillment of human need. The one we have will kill us, more slowly, yet more surely than Corona.
These, and the many other measures necessary, won’t simply be given to us. Getting what we need will be a fight, as it always has been. It is unclear what form exactly this struggle will take, given the risks of going outside. But you should be a part of it. Join a fighting socialist organization with sections across the globe. Join Socialist Alternative.
