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This information is not all inclusive but tries to answer some questions to what we are learning throughout this situation and how it may affect our members. 

What should members do if a Contractor Voluntarily Shuts down, are they eligible for Sick leave pay and does it compensate them at their full wages?  

- The Oregon Paid Sick Leave law does not apply to union construction workers and the new Federal sick days provision does not appear to specifically apply to these instances where a job/business shuts down. 

- The new OR Unemployment Insurance Program rules DO apply to situations where an employer has curtailed or ceased operations due to COVID-19 impacts, concerns and or public health guidance. 

If a member chooses not to work because they feel unsafe what should they do?   

- They should be covered under the UI emergency program rules to access benefits; We are still working to understand the best guidance for how workers should navigate this, aside from going out on unemployment. 

What does it mean by construction being considered essential; does it apply to all construction projects?   

- If the Governor defines certain businesses and services as "essential", it likely will allow them to continue to operate and exempt these industries from many of the statewide restrictions now in place for slowing the spread of the virus. They would not be subject to the in-person gathering restrictions but would still need to comply with state and federal agency guidelines for maintaining clean and safe work environments. 

- The Governor's office has not issued an explicit list defining what industries/services are deemed essential through this crisis, but we're getting word that if/when that occurs, construction is very likely to be included. We still need clarity on which jobs that will pertain to.

- One other key question is around childcare; the state is working to setup a coordinated system for providing childcare for first responders and workers in essential service. We are working on getting more clarity on how this will work, if/when construction is deemed essential so that members families can access these childcare services.