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  1. VI. CONCLUSION
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VI. CONCLUSION

During the 2020 coronavirus pandemic gig workers have been of tremendous service, delivering meals and groceries, providing transportation, and increasing their own exposures to illness and disease to make sure that others could stay at home during lockdowns. A full

237 See, e.g. Brudney, supra note [ ] at 5-7 (noting that frontline essential employees bore “disproportionate health risks” and that the law’s response to the struggles of essential employees has been “fragmented and disappointing.”).

238 Sophie Sherry, Nurse says she was fired by Northwestern Memorial Hospital after warning co-workers that face masks being used were not the safest, CHI. TRIB., Mar. 25, 2020, https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-nurse-northwestern-memorial-hospitalcoronavirus-20200324-6smjuxbn6fgnxpaiyzzkjymorq-story.html.

239 *Id. *

240 See, e.g. Teo Armus, Two Trader Joe’s customers were asked to put on masks. They attacked employees instead, WASH. POST, July 29, 2020; Carley Porterfield, No-Mask Attacks, FORBES, Aug. 15, 2020; Soo Kim, “Violent” Customer Attacks Grocery Store Worker with Bottle After Being Asked to Wear Mask, NEWSWEEK, Jan. 19, 2021; Grocery Workers Fear Confrontations Over Mask Rules, TIME MAGAZINE, May 25, 2020.

241 Sarah Ashley O’Brien & Kaya Yurieff, People are Luring Instacart Shoppers with Big Tips – And Then Changing Them to Zero, CNN (Apr. 9, 2020, 3:01 PM), https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/09/tech/instacart-shoppers-tip-baiting/index.html.

recognition of those sacrifices should result in gig workers receiving the same labor and employment law protections and benefits that employees traditionally receive.

Indeed, these employment protections for gig workers will be critical so that they will be able to engage fully in the hoped-for robust post-pandemic economic recovery. As voters, unions, companies, and policymakers grapple with the aftermath of the pandemic and its impact on the world of work generally, the sacrifices and service of gig workers during this time should not be forgotten. Without a doubt, gig workers have proven themselves worthy of the same labor market protections that employees receive under the law. The trend toward parity that started in the pandemic needs to be continued, and is one of the few bright spots of hope during a difficult and tragic time.

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