Cleaners on the Front Lines Seek Federal Help to Address Virus

The nearly $50 billion commercial cleaning industry that has been on the front lines during the Covid-19 crisis is fighting to get recognition from state and federal policymakers.

The industry is urging Congress to provide liability protections for employers, support cleaners obtaining priority access to protective equipment and enact a tax credit for cleaning services.

But the slow pace of the latest legislation to address the crisis has frustrated those efforts, said Josh Feinberg, the president of the Cleaning Coalition of America and an executive at ABM Industries, a facilities management provider.

“It’s frustrating for those essential workers like us ...