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Hospitality Union Stepping Up To Help Hotel Worker's Family After They Say He Lost Battle With COVID

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Family and co-workers are heartbroken over the loss of German Amaya.

"German and I were good friends. He's going to be missed. I'm going to miss him so much," Rick Sanchez said.

His friend and former co-worker, Sanchez, spoke to CBS4's Ty Russell outside a funeral home Saturday.

Amaya died Friday at Mercy Hospital after being in a coma for a month. Members of his hospitality workers union say he unable to beat the coronavirus.

"German was a phenomenal leader in our union. Always so generous with his time standing up for his co-workers," said Wendi Walsh, a leader with UNITE HERE Local 355.

Amaya was a Banquet Houseman at luxury hotel Fontainebleau Miami Beach for 11 years. But during the shutdown that forced hotels to close, he was then laid off.

The union says Amaya and many others in the hospitality industry also lost health care insurance and couldn't foot the bill to continue it themselves.

"These workers need their health insurance. They need to continue their healthcare during this time that they're furloughed," Walsh said.

For Amaya, the union says he also lost his $10,000 death benefit as well. Now, the union says it's stepping up to help his family.

"The last thing they need to face is a pile of medical bills and an inability to pay for his funeral," the union leader said.

Union leaders say their contract states the employer must continue medical expenses.

In a statement to CBS4, the hotel sent its condolences to the family and said, in part :

"It is our understanding that, through COBRA, each of our former employees can also continue their prior health insurance coverage for up to 18 months at their expense."

The hotel says it laid off mostly all off its 2,000 plus workforce in March. So far, 360 union workers have been hired back. And the hotel spokesperson says they're still trying to recover financially.

"We need to make sure people have the care that they need and the financial support they need through this pandemic," Walsh said.

South Florida is trying to lower COVID-19 numbers to reopen schools and more business.

The latest numbers were released Saturday. Broward has a two-week average positivity rate at 10.9%. For Miami-Dade, it's at 15.5%.

Fontainebleau says for union workers re-hired, it's making the full near $1,000 monthly contribution for any month the person worked, even if it was for one day.

But it's still a tough weekend emotionally for Those workers and the ones are still out of work.

"German was a man of integrity. Always had a smile on his face. Loved his family, took care of his family and did everything for his family," Sanchez said.

Amaya leaves behind two young children and a wife, who also lost her job because of the pandemic.

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