Newark Airport Workers Rally For Health Care: ‘I Pray To God’

NEWARK, NJ — Yvette Stephens prays to God every day. But hopefully, it’s the New Jersey state Legislature that will hear her pleas, she says.

On Thursday, Stephens and dozens of other workers at Newark Airport rallied in Newark’s Military Park in support of the Healthy Terminals Act (S-989/A-2487).

The proposed legislation would require employers at Newark Airport to compensate workers with a benefits supplement that can be used to acquire health insurance. If passed, an estimated 10,000 workers at Newark Airport would get "meaningful, affordable" protection during a time of need, spokespeople with labor union SEIU 32BJ said.

Nearly 35 percent of subcontracted workers at Newark Airport could currently be uninsured, according to a voluntary 2019 study from the union.

A similar effort passed in the New York legislature in July. Read the bill's full text here.

The workers had a swell of supporters at their side as they rallied in Military Park, including Senator Joe Cryan, Assemblywoman Linda Carter, Assemblyman Dan Benson, Newark Board of Education Member Yambeli Gomez, the Rev. Barry Wise and members of Make the Road NJ and Citizen Action.

“I need the people who represent me to take the Healthy Terminals Act seriously,” said Stephens said, a laid-off security officer at Newark Airport and a 32BJ SEIU member.

“My doctor says I desperately need tests and appointments to confirm if I have a tumor or something else, but I can’t afford the bills to get it done,” Stephens said. “I pray to God every day that we get this bill, because I can’t wait any longer.”

“I’m sick and tired of living without health care,” agreed Richard Chisolm, a baggage hander at the airport and 32BJ member. “I can’t afford what my company gives me so I go without. Expensive healthcare isn’t a benefit — it hurts us and costs thousands of dollars every year.”

“If we all had healthcare, we could spend so much more on our homes and our families,” Chisolm said. “We could funnel so much money into the economy. But instead we’re strapped. It doesn’t make any sense to me.”

• See related article: Meet 10 NJ Families Who Had To Crowdfund For Health Care

“The Healthy Terminals Act could not be more important right now— airport workers have suffered enough,” said Sen. Loretta Weinberg, a sponsor of the bill in the Senate.

“If frontline, essential airport workers have healthcare, and the means to see a doctor, we will have healthier workers, passengers and communities,” Weinberg said. “New York’s legislature already passed the same bill, and now New Jersey must make it a priority.”

Weinberg urged the Senate Labor Committee to pass the bill during its session on Monday.

Leaders with SEIU 32BJ and Unite Here Local 100, another union that represents workers at Newark Airport, offered strong support for the bill.

“It’s outrageous to expect workers to be out on the front lines without the fundamental right of health care,” 32BJ SEIU Secretary Treasurer Larry Engelstein said. “Black, brown and immigrant airport workers have been on the frontlines of this pandemic — securing terminals, sanitizing bathrooms, and making sure passengers get to their destinations safely. Workers are counting on their elected officials to move this bill.”

Jose Maldonado, secretary-treasurer of Unite Here Local 100, said New Jersey can’t ethically turn a blind eye to thousands of workers who are struggling to get by without health care.

“Many have been working through the pandemic without basic protections like health insurance,” Maldonado said. “Airport workers are united in passing the Healthy Terminals Act for the sake of their families, passengers and their jobs.”

• See related article: Health Care Bills Are Crushing Us, Newark Airport Workers Say

The bill has seen overwhelming support from community advocates and local officials, including Essex County Democratic Chairman LeRoy Jones.

“Newark Liberty plays a vital role in our economy for businesses and workers alike, and we must guarantee that our essential airport workers are adequately protected and have the means to attain meaningful health care,” Jones said.

Members of the New Jersey Legislative Latino Caucus also endorsed the bill. They wrote in a joint statement:

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Don’t forget to visit the Patch Newark Facebook page. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Sign up for Patch email newsletters.

This article originally appeared on the Newark Patch