Bargaining to Open for Over 10,000 32BJ SEIU
New York and New Jersey Airport Workers
Eyes on post-COVID recovery,
Thrilled with Healthcare
JetBlue ground operations moving 2500
CPAP units for NYS emergency services.
AIRPORT VOICE, MARCH 2021 29
majority Black and
immigrant workers fight to
implement new healthcare legislation,
discrimination protections,
and protect worker
health and safety in the first
and largest airports bargaining
since COVID-19 onset
Over 200 32BJ airport
members; Donovan Richards,
Queens Borough President;
NY State Senator Alessandra
Biaggi (D-34); NY Assembly
Member Alicia Hyndman (D-
24); NJ State Senator Teresa
Ruiz (D-29); Dahlia Vertreese,
Mayor of Hillside; Kyle Bragg,
President of 32BJ; Rob Hill,
32BJ Vice President and Director
of Organizing were on
the virtual call preceding the
onset of bargaining.
Co-Sponsor Biaggi, emphatically
said, “Critical infrastruece
continue to function
because of the workers. Any
access to healthcare was not
available to thousands of airport
workers. The big corporations
running airports are
getting bailed out and no more
excuses. Healthcare is a human
right.” She said that these
workers are essential to the
continued running of the airports
and deserve healthcare.
Elected bargaining committee
representing over
10,000 majority Black and
immigrant airport workers,
members of 32BJ SEIU, across
John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia
and Newark airports will sit
across from employers virtually
in the first sessions to
bargain for new contracts as
airports begin to recover from
a year-long COVID-19 battle.
Airport workers represented
by 32BJ include passenger
service representatives, cabin
and terminal cleaners, baggage
handlers, security officers,
wheelchair attendants
and skycaps.
The unit will be the largest
group of airport workers
to start bargaining since COVID
19 onset, and is expected
to lead the nationwide conversation
on essential worker
safety and recovery following
COVID-19.
After a year-long battle
against the coronavirus, airport
workers will demand
specific terms to implement
Healthy Terminals Act, a benefit
supplement recently signed
into law in New York, and must
now pass in New Jersey, that
equips workers with meaningful
healthcare benefits.
Queens Borough President
Donovan Richards stands on
the side of the workers. stating
he was honored to represent
workers at JFK, LGA saying,
“ We are looking at systemic
issues for workers who
keep keep it working need o
have have n=benefits, pay and
healthcare. We need an equitable
recovery that’s not just
airlines. We will come out
with a stronger contract by
standing together with 32BJ.
Airport Companies affected
by this feel that the
$4.54 per hour health benefit
plus the upcoming minimum
wage increase will financially
cripple many service providers.
JFK Airport organization
Kaamco members feel that
the Sept 2021 minimum wage
increase be postponed. Having
these two increases in the
midst of an unprecentented cut
in business is too much to absorb
at one time. They feel that
there are uncertainties surrounding
the $454 amount, and
can’t make decisions without
knowing actual requirements
and how costs will be absorbed
by affected stakeholders.
Healthcare, among other
health and safety protections
airport members will
call for, is fundamental to
protecting passengers and
instilling confidence in
travel as the airline industry
gears up for post-pandemic
recovery. After the
airline industry raked in
up to $65 billion in taxpayer
bailout money over the last
12 months, contracted airport
workers will demand
job improvements to keep
them healthy and safe.
Workers’ other demands
will include introduction of
quarterly health and safety
meetings to ensure continued
focus on worker well-being, as
well as seniority protections
for those impacted by the pandemic
and provisions against
discrimination based on traits
historically associated with
race, including hairstyles and
hair textures.
IATA cargo distribution report
Vaccine and Pharmaceutical Logistics
IATA released its executive
summary which reports:
Today’s airfreight logistics
capacity is designed to meet
planned programs of vaccination
distributions in designated
countries. In order
to now upscale to the capacity
required to address global
distribution of COVID19 vaccines
adapting infrastructure,
processes and resources
will be critical to respond effectively
to the huge global
logistical challenges. Governments,
supply chain partners,
humanitarian organizations
and pharmaceutical manufacturers
must collaboratively
prepare themselves for a widespread
global coordinated response
to distribute vaccines
to where they are needed in a
timely, safe and secure manner.
IATA is collaborating with
several leading authorities
and organizations and global
humanitarian agencies, such
as ICAO, UNICEF, WFP, WHO,
IFPMA, PAHO, WCO, WTO,
FIATA, the UK Civil Aviation
Authority–Aviation Security
and the World Bank, who have
unique expertise in different
aspects of planned vaccination
distribution programs
and in regional, national and
pan region community humanitarian
response.
This document is about
planning, preparing and looking
at the global considerations
as well as draw upon
the lessons learned during the
crisis, set a precedent for the
future and identify how the
existing procedures can be
efficiently adapted to ensure
the fast and safe movement of
products using a risk-based
approach. This document will
be subject to regular review
and revision as additional information
and best practices
are made available by the various
stakeholders.
IATA’s Guidance for Vaccine
and Pharmaceutical Logistics
and Distribution includes
chapters on:
• The Constraints and
Risks stakeholders need to
pre-empt and overcome in order
to deliver vaccines where
they are needed with no wastage
or loss.
• The Role of NGO’s in the
vaccine distribution and procurement
process. While
NGO’s share the common objective
of ensuring that countries
have safe, fast and equitable
access to the vaccine
when available, the role of
each organization varies.
• Industry Preparedness
for vaccine distribution which
includes information that governments
and stakeholders
need to consider:
- Capacity & Connectivity:
The global route network has
been reduced dramatically
from the preCOVID 24,000 city
pairs. Governments need to reestablish
air connectivity to ensure
adequate capacity is available
for vaccine distribution.
-Facilities and infrastructure:
Vaccine needs to be
shipped and stored in temperature
controlled environment.
Some types of refrigerants
are classified as a
dangerous goods. Considerations
include availability of
infrastructure, facilities and
equipment and trained staff
to handle time- and temperature
sensitive vaccines.
-Border Management:
Timely regulatory approvals
and storage and clearance by
customs and health authorities
will be essential. Priorities
for border processes include
introducing fast-track
procedures for overflight and
landing permits for operations
carrying the COVID-19
vaccine and considering tariff
relief to facilitate the movement
of the vaccine.
-Security: Vaccines are
highly valuable commodities.
Arrangements must be in
place to ensure that shipments
remain secure from tampering
and theft. Processes are in
place already, but the huge volume
of vaccine shipments will
need early planning to ensure
that they are scalable.