Charlotte boosts pay for first responders, other workers out in public during COVID-19
The city of Charlotte plans to provide premium pay for its first responders and other city employees “who have frequent, direct exposure to the public” during the novel coronavirus pandemic, city leaders announced in a tweet Friday.
The workers will receive a 5% increase over their base pay, retroactive to March 26 — the day Mecklenburg County’s stay-at-home order began, officials said. The premium pay will remain in effect until the stay-at-home order ends.
The total cost of the increase is unknown, because which employees receive the premium pay is still to be determined department by department, Cory Burkarth, a city spokesman, told The Charlotte Observer Saturday.
The city has the money in its budget to cover the cost, he said.
In a media statement, city officials said those eligible for premium pay include:
▪ First responders in the Charlotte Fire Department and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.
▪ “Front-line” employees with Solid Waste Collections, Code Enforcement and Field Operations.
▪ Service field technicians, Special Transportation Service drivers, rail operators and street maintenance workers.
▪ Shuttle bus drivers and airport terminal operations and terminal maintenance workers.
▪ Construction inspectors working in the field.