Some city of Cincinnati essential workers are getting $1,000 in one-time hazard pay this month. The payments are for frontline city employees who couldn't do their jobs from home during the pandemic, like nurses, janitors, and police and fire officers.
Federal guidance allows use of American Rescue Plan funds for hazard pay for essential workers like janitors, childcare workers, truck drivers and staff at nursing homes and hospitals. Council previously allocated $2.8 million for hazard pay.
"There are about 2,000 folks who already have received this, and I suspect that we will see another 1,000 or 2,000," says Council Member Greg Landsman, who proposed the hazard pay plan. "I'm hopeful ... that there'll be a third opportunity to make sure that we've supported everybody that's really done what we needed them to do what taxpayers needed them to do."
City administration negotiated the hazard pay with the unions. Wednesday's ordinance expands the payments to some city workers not represented by a union.
