Amid a growing pandemic, workers at UMass Memorial Medical Center are demanding hazard pay, testing for employees and more protective gear.

United Food and Commercial Workers Union 1445 has for weeks pressed the administration on these three points, and the administration has thus far been unresponsive, according to union representatives. The union represents a variety of different workers in the hospital network, from housekeepers to HVAC technicians to cafeteria workers. The workers represented by the union are on the lower wage end of those employed by the hospital. Union members complain they are facing similar risks as medical workers and deserve extra compensation.

“A lot of these people, the housekeepers, they’re making minimum wage and they’re going into rooms that are contaminated,” said Frank Palermo, supply coordinator and union steward. “The kids driving patients back and forth, it’s a wicked risk. They didn’t sign up for this. No one signed up for this.”

Demands for hazard pay, more supplies and more testing haven’t gone far with the administration, said Richard Poole, a union official. Though the union is sympathetic to the challenges the hospital faces, especially in terms of procuring more protective gear amid a national shortage, it only strengthens the argument that hospital workers deserve hazard pay and deserve to be tested.

“What they say is as a hospital worker, you sign up for this. This is what hospital workers do, they treat illnesses, and you can’t put a number on a particular illness in the form of hazard pay,” Poole said. “But you talk to housekeepers and you’ll find that this is not what they signed up for.”

Mike Cook, an HVAC technician and union steward, said workers are first and foremost concerned about bringing the virus home to their families. They’re putting themselves and their loved ones at a significant risk and at the least deserve extra compensation for that, he said.

“The housekeepers at a hotel aren’t going through what a housekeeper is going through here,” said Cook. “The hospital takes a lot of people to run and not all of those people are medical professionals. Some of them are making almost minimum wage. I don’t think that’s fair compensation for exposing themselves to those risks.”

In the cafeteria, sentiments are the same. Maria Carbone, union steward for cafeteria workers, said people working in the cafeteria interact with nurses and doctors every day. They’re wearing masks and gloves, but cashiers lack screens at registers. Workers there can’t afford to lose hours, but she said she feels they deserve more protection and more pay for being there.

“During this period, we do deserve a little extra for being here,” said Carbone. “I didn’t sign up to be a doctor, but I’m taking the same risks as a doctor. I don’t make $40 an hour. I make $15 an hour. We’re risking our lives for $15 an hour.”

Recently, state healthcare workers secured hazard pay. On Monday, the state government and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 93 agreed to hazard pay for licensed nurses and caregivers up $10 more an hour until at least May 30.

When asked about the demands being made by the union, Anthony Berry, spokesman for the hospital said that UMass Memorial, like many organizations across the country, is facing “extreme financial challenges.” He did not directly address the demand for hazard pay, but said that the hospital is continuing to pay workers whose employment has been impacted by department closings or other suspensions of services. The hospital is paying standard base wages through May 2.

In the email response, Berry did not specifically respond to demands the union has made for more employee testing. On the issue of protective gear, Berry said the hospital has significantly increased the stock to “ensure our caregivers are working as safely as possible when caring for patients.” Stock of protective gear has been further bolstered by donations from community members, organizations and businesses.

“We are grateful for this incredible outpouring of support for our caregivers and mission,” he said.

Hospital employees are tested for COVID-19 if they experience symptoms. But the union feels all workers should be tested regularly. Palermo said he feels the hospital is afraid to test everyone because it could lead to dramatic staff reductions.

“We all want to be tested. It’s that not knowing that’s scary for us,” he said.