Julie Kushner

Sens. Kushner and Lesser Celebrate New Executive Order Strengthening Workers’ Compensation Claims

This morning, State Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown) and State Senator Julie Kushner (D-Danbury) are celebrating Governor Lamont’s newest executive order strengthening worker’s compensation claims for essential workers impacted by COVID-19. This follows the call Senator Lesser and Senator Kushner made to Governor Lamont last Friday, July 17, to work on legislation that ensures Connecticut’s essential workers to qualify for workers’ compensation insurance coverage should they contract COVID-19 while on the job and suffer health or financial consequences as a result of that infection.

“Essential workers had our backs through the worst of the pandemic, now we have their backs,” said Sen. Lesser. “Governor Lamont is doing the right thing, making sure that workers who got COVID-19 between March 10 and May 20th get access to the worker’s compensation they deserve. While white-collar workers could stay home and telework, essential workers risked their health and safety and went to work every single day. This is a huge victory for working people.”

“Workers in hospitals, nursing homes, grocery stores, service plazas, bus drivers, first responders and all those that went to work while most of us sheltered at home, risked their lives and the lives of their families to keep our state healthy and safe,” said Sen. Kushner. “Many workers got sick, and too many died from the Coronavirus. The Governor’s Executive Order is an important first step to make sure that we are taking care of the essential workers who are taking care of all of us. With the Governor’s action, we’re not just thanking them, we’re saying we have your backs!”

Senator Lesser and Senator Kushner who are the Senate chairs of the Insurance and the Labor and Public Employees committees helped draft language that became the core foundation of the executive order along with Representative Porter and Representative Scanlon.