GE Union Asking for Paid Time Off RESTAURANTS STARVING FOR

FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2020 Swampscott reacts GE union to positive test asking By David McLellan Board of Health held a virtual, on- ITEM STAFF line-streamed meeting Wednesday to educate the public on the town’s for paid SWAMPSCOTT — A Swampscott response to COVID-19, a strain of resident has contracted COVID-19, coronavirus that can cause in uen- according to the town’s Board of za-like symptoms and has infected Health Chairwoman Marianne at least 256 people in Massachu- time off Hartmann. setts, according to the Centers for Hartmann would not give out Disease Control and Prevention. By Gayla Cawley identifying information about the In addition to closing schools and ITEM STAFF resident, but said the resident is public buildings until at least April isolated at home and is in regular 6, Swampscott is taking measures LYNN — A union representing ITEM PHOTO | SPENSER HASAK communication with town of cials. to comply with the CDC recom- the city’s General Electric employ- “This is the rst of likely many cas- mendations on “social distancing.” Christine James brings free lunches to a ees is concerned about the aviation es in Swampscott,” Hartmann said. woman and her son Thursday at Swampscott plant’s “unsafe work environment” The Swampscott Selectboard and SWAMPSCOTT, A3 High School. caused by the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak and is seeking two weeks of paid leave. The International Union of Elec- tric Workers (IUE) Local 201 rep- RESTAURANTS STARVING resents 1,262 employees of the city’s GE Aviation River Works plant who are continuing to report to work despite city- and statewide FOR CUSTOMERS closures of schools, businesses and public establishments, according to union President Adam Kaszynski. Although there have been no re- ported cases in Lynn yet, employees are “terri ed” that they will contract the virus at work, which would not only compromise their own health, but that of their families back home, Kaszynski said. Union membership, he said, in- cludes 305 people who are age 60 or older and many who have a serious underlying medical condition, the two groups the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identi ed as being most at-risk of de- veloping severe coronavirus illness. Kaszynksi said the union has been working with General Electric brass since March 6 on how to best address the health concerns cre- ated by the global COVID-19 outbreak, and has chosen to negotiate for an additional two weeks of paid time off for all union employees. “A lot of people cannot afford to live on unpaid time or 60 percent disability pay,” said Kaszynski. “Expanding our sick time is the way that we feel this is going to be best addressed. We’re just trying to ‘Twelve hundred seats and nobody’s sitting in them’ get through this crisis right now. By Steve Krause representative. “That’s more important It’s typically hard to We need (to give) people who are and Elyse Carmosino than anything else at this point.” nd a seat at Broth- worried about their families the ability to afford to stay home. Right ITEM STAFF Wong, like all restaurant owners on ers Deli in Lynn at now, the plant is unsanitary from a the North Shore, is doing his best to 12:30 p.m. but the Stanley Wong has one overriding COVID-19 perspective.” outbreak of COVID-19 question as he prepares to talk about cope with the new reality. He has not The additional time off would how his family’s restaurant — Kowloon felt any type of backlash in terms of lost has forced restau- also bene t those who are having in Saugus — is weathering the social business because the COVID-19 virus rants to close their dif culty securing childcare at a isolation that’s been almost mandated originated in China. seating areas and of- time when Gov. Charlie Baker has by the town and the Commonwealth “Boston really got hit hard,” he said. fer only takeout, as is ordered a statewide temporary clo- of Massachusetts in the wake of the “I’m very grateful we’re not in Boston.” the case for Brothers, sure of schools and daycare centers, COVID-19 virus. Nor, Wong said, did he feel any racism and delivery. Kaszynski said. “Are you home? Are you safe?” asks Wong, whose brother, Donald, is a state RESTAURANTS, A3 ITEM PHOTO | SPENSER HASAK GE, A3 Mutual Aid means making connections $10 By Thor Jourgensen Organizing and development di- ITEM STAFF rector for New Lynn Coalition, Fein- toilet berg lives with his ancée and their LYNN — Armed with resource roommate, and is glad to help cre- lists, social media and compassion for one another, local residents are ate a community to weather corona- paper? organizing Mutual Aid Lynn to pro- virus even as people practice social vide connections while coronavirus distancing in an effort to halt the continues to necessitate social dis- contagious virus’ spread. Virus isn’t the tancing. Information about the network is “In this time of growing uncer- available by email lynnmutualaid@ only thing making tainty, fear, and isolation, it’s more gmail.com or on Facebook at “Lynn people sick important than ever for us to come MA Mutual Aid Disaster Relief.” Lynn resident and Salem State University student Nicholas Ventura said Lynn Mutual Aid will help him together for mutual support and “The idea behind it is simple — By Reese Dunklin solidarity,” said Lynn resident Jon- stay connected with neighbors and his community CONNECTIONS, A3 and Justin athon Feinberg. during the pandemic. Pritchard ASSOCIATED PRESS State One store advertised Legislature to postpone Quarantine shaming: a new social norm hand sanitizer at $60 a special elections. A2 bottle. Another was ac- By Gillian Flaccus were appalled that Ryan Winkle ine when all these businesses shut cused of hawking it at $1 Opinion ASSOCIATED PRESS would promote a gathering — even down. That’s a whole different a squirt. Chain stores of- Jourgensen: Hardly a small one — as COVID-19 raged problem.” fered $26 thermometers a knight in shining The chairman of Arizona’s Asian and entire cities were urged to “Quarantine shaming” — call- and face masks at the armor. A4 Chamber of Commerce didn’t see self-isolate. ing out those not abiding by social “everyday low price” of Lynn much downside to attending a “I started getting some messages distancing rules — is part of a new $39.95 a pair, while a con- small dinner at a local restaurant saying, ‘Hey, why are you trying to and startling reality for Americans venience store touted toi- Cigarettes blamed for to bolster the business and bring let paper at $10 a roll next four-alarm re. A5 spread the virus?’ I was like, ’It’s who must navigate a world of rap- together other leaders to discuss a small event, and everyone had idly evolving social norms in the to a sign reading: “This is Sports how to help Asian-American eater- washed their hands, and they had age of COVID-19. As schools close not a joke.” Salem State’s ies devastated by the coronavirus. sanitizer on the tables,’” Winkle and shelter-in-place orders sweep Across a country where Animashaun named to That was, at least, until he posted said of the dinner held Saturday across the U.S., the divide between lines are long, some All-Northeast team. B1 about it on Instagram. The feed- in Mesa, Ariz. “My thinking is al- back was swift from people who ways about the economics. Imag- SHAMING, A3 PRICES, A3 OBITUARIES ..............................A2 LOOK! .......................................A8 COMICS ....................................B4 HIGH 70° VOL. 142, ISSUE 85 OPINION ...................................A4 SPORTS ................................ B1-2 DIVERSIONS .............................B5 LOW 41° POLICE/FIRE .............................A5 ENTERTAINMENT .......................B3 CLASSIFIED ........................... B6-7 PAGE A8 $1.50 A2 THE DAILY ITEM FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2020 OBITUARIES Legislature plans to postpone Neal G. Onos, 79 1940-2020 PEABODY — Neal G. Onos, March special elections 79, a longtime resident of Peabody, passed away peace- By Matt Murphy our cities and towns at ex- Spilka said the Senate tion Corps, said it should. fully at home surrounded by STATE HOUSE cessive risk.” also plans to make absen- “You shouldn’t be forcing his family on March 16, 2020. NEWS SERVICE The sentiment expressed tee ballots or mail-in op- people to choose between by Spilka stands in sharp tions available for voters what they need to do to Born in South Gate, Calif., to House and Senate lead- the late Cornelius and Jacoba contrast to that put for- in those special elections get on the ballot and what ers plan to postpone four ward just days ago by Sec- under the state of emer- they need to do to keep (Hagoort) Onos, Neal was the special elections sched- cherished husband of Mildred retary of State William gency declared due to the themselves and their vol- uled for the end of the Galvin, the state’s chief COVID-19 pandemic. unteers safe,” Palfrey said. “Millie” (Moriarty) Onos for 58 month, and will pass leg- years. He was the most devot- elections officer, who said “This is not a decision we Palfrey, who ran for lieu- islation on Monday to give he believes that Massa- take lightly as we seek to tenant governor in 2018, ed husband and father and cities and towns increased enjoyed every moment spent chusetts could still safely balance the need for rep- was pleased to hear the flexibility to delay local conduct in-person voting. resentation for our legis- Legislature would be tak- with his family. elections planned for the Neal was raised in Lynn and “If it’s a true crisis, we’re lative districts with the ing up a voting bill next spring and allow voting by certainly not going to force very real risks to our res- week.

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