NEW YORK STATE HEALTHY TERMINALS ACT

Challenge
Thousands of New York airport workers lacked access to affordable health care, due to its unaffordability. These workers are employed at LaGuardia and JFK airports in areas such as security, baggage handling, and cleaning & janitorial services. This lack of insurance for workers and their families became more acute in 2020 as the coronavirus spread and these individuals continued to perform essential services at our airports. It became clear how important it was to guarantee health coverage for every person, especially for those at high-risk of exposure.

Solution
The Parkside Group's government relations team worked to ensure the health and safety of New York's airport workers. Working with the union in 2019 we brought hundreds of 32BJ members to the State Capitol, and conducted roundtables across the state to share the stories of the workers on the frontlines. Despite the uncertainties the coronavirus brought to the 2020 legislative session, by educating the members of the New York State legislature, and making workers' stories heard, we ensured passage of this critical legislation which was signed into law by Governor Cuomo. The final law established minimum wage rates with a benefits supplement to help with the expenses of healthcare for these essential workers and their families.