4 vaccinated front-line workers cope with pandemic's toll

NEW YORK (AP) — The early months of the coronavirus pandemic shined a spotlight on essential workers.

As cities shutdown, thank you signs went up on windows and applause rang out each evening for the workers still out there. At the time, there was hope the pandemic would be short-lived.

Instead, the virus spread, evolved and unleashed new challenges.

More than 60% of U.S. workers had jobs that couldn’t be done from home during the pandemic, according to a Pew Research Center survey. Front-line workers struggled with inconsistent masking policies, fought for hazard pay and campaigned for lasting changes, including a $15 minimum wage and adequate paid sick leave.

The arrival of vaccines has brought new trials. Labor advocates fought for paid time off and other policies to help give workers access to the vaccines, while confronting reluctance among many to get the shots.

At this latest crossroads, The Associated Press caught up with four of the workers it profiled last year: a nurse’s assistant, a subway driver, a janitor and a warehouse worker.

For all four, the biggest change was getting vaccinated. They have taken tentative steps toward normalcy, hugging family and traveling. But the pandemic continues to define their work and life.

THE JANITOR

Annette Brown's boss called her into the office one day a few months ago. He read emails the medical staff had written, praising Brown's dedication to her job as an overnight janitor at a hospital in Halethorpe, Maryland.

The recognition was hard-won. In the early days of the pandemic, Brown wandered around the hospital in search of leftover N-95 masks because the nurses had priority amid a nationwide shortage. A member of the 32BJ SEIU service workers' union, she pushed unsuccessfully for hazard pay.

By her count, 11 other...