Page 15 - Florida Sentinel 11-27-20

Feature
Healthcare Worker Elated Minimum Wage Law Passed
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
For the past 17 years, Mrs. Brenda Williams has been em- ployed in the healthcare industry. But, the field she has chosen has been a double-edged sword.
“I love what I do. I love health- care, it’s my calling. But, no one can live on minimum wage and take care of everything.”
And that is why she was elated when voters passed Amendment 2 on November 3rd. The amendment gradually increases the minimum wage in Florida from $8.46 to $15.00 an hour. The first increase will take place in September 2021, when minimum wage increases to $10 per hour.
It will increase by $1 each year until it reaches $15 per hour. Mrs.
Mrs. Brenda Williams volunteered her time to help get Amendment 2 passed.
Williams said Florida is the first southern state to increase the minimum wage.
For the past five years, Mrs. Williams has volunteered with the “Fight for $15” campaign. The initiative was designed to increase the minimum wage for fast food and healthcare workers.
Mrs. Williams is a Certified Nursing Assistant (CAN) and a certified Home Healthcare Assis- tant (HHA), which means she works as an independent contrac- tor with several different agencies. This means she has no health in- surance, no paid sick leave, and no benefits.
“I have had the COVID-19 virus twice. Once, I was out of work for 15 days and the second time for 10 days. I thank God for the support of my husband (Albert
Williams). I had no income. “The scariest thing was after having COVID-19, people were afraid and didn’t want me in their
houses,” she said.
Mrs. Williams further said
that she suffered an injury while helping to lift a patient that re- sulted in her having to visit a chi- ropractor. The injury caused the couple to deplete their savings.
After becoming a cancer sur- vivor, Mrs. Williams said, “God told me to take care of his people. I love witnessing on the streets and feeding the homeless,” the mother of 3 and grandmother of 9 said.
At that point, Mrs. Williams enrolled in classes and obtained her certifications. She then en- tered the healthcare field.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2020 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY PAGE 3-B