I recently had the opportunity to spend some time with a moving crew in the field and got a firsthand view of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) application on a move job. While there are definitely some challenges, the crews I saw took it in stride and seemed to have an appreciation for the value of PPE as a way to protect themselves, their customers, and the families of both. While it was a beautiful southern California winter day, the kind of day that used to be a deciding factor in people moving to the Golden State, it still is not the easiest task to wear a mask for 10 hours straight, wipe down surfaces, and use hand sanitizer, while performing difficult physical tasks. But movers are doing it daily in an environment that is always changing. We cannot forget about the company office and sales staff who also face challenges related to the pandemic as well. All are appreciated for their efforts to stay safe and serve the moving public.

CMSA members, and movers around the country, continue to wonder what can be done to prioritize our industry in the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. CMSA has sent individual letters pleading our position of early vaccination to California decision makers as well as tasking our legislative advocate SYASL to do the same. We have partnered with our industry colleagues including the National Council of Moving Associations, the ATA Moving and Storage Conference, and the International Association of Movers to advocate for priority vaccination schedules at all levels of government. The challenge has been the distribution and administration of the vaccine. For example, in California the decisions on who gets the vaccine and where it is administered has been on a county-by-county basis. If you live in Los Angeles County you are currently eligible for the vaccine if you are 65 or older. You will probably have to go to a mass distribution site like Dodgers stadium where the process is taking about 4 ½ hours if protesters do not cause further delays. If you are lucky enough to live in Ventura County, that 65-year-old recipient might find a site that only takes ½ an hour, start to finish. While residents of Monterey County under age 75 are currently not eligible for the vaccine.

We continue to hear from members that are having staff test positive and are looking for some guidance in navigating this process. We have had members who have been hospitalized with severe cases from 5 to 30 days. A year ago, none of us could have envisioned what we have dealt with over the last 12 months and what still lies ahead. Thankfully, in no small part due to our Essential Services designation and the can-do spirit of our members and their staffs, we have persevered.

February 2021 - CMSA Communicator