Health Care Bills Are Crushing Us, Newark Airport Workers Say

NEWARK, NJ — If you had to choose between going to the doctor or paying your rent, which would you pick? That’s the crushing dilemma that thousands of workers at Newark Liberty International Airport are facing, a state lawmaker says.

Earlier this week, dozens of workers at Newark Airport did some traveling of their own, showing up in Trenton to advocate for the Healthy Terminals Act (S989). The bill would provide passenger service and retail workers at Newark Airport a $4.54 per hour, employer-paid supplement they could use to acquire health care.

Companion legislation in New York would cover workers at John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport.

According to labor union 32BJ SEIU, the bill would benefit roughly 10,000 workers at Newark Airport.

Sen. Loretta Weinberg, who sponsored the senate version of the bill in New Jersey, said an overwhelming number of employees on the front lines of the busy airport are suffering extreme medical debt.

“Workers are forced to choose between going to the doctor and keeping a roof over their heads,” Weinberg asserted. “That’s not right.”

The bill is sponsored by Annette Quijano of the 20th District in the Assembly.

• See related article: Meet 10 NJ Families Who Had To Crowdfund To Pay Medical Bills

If it passes, the Healthy Terminals Act would be a much-needed ray of sunshine for workers like Teresa Wright, a baggage agent at Newark Airport.

Wright said she prays for the day when she can treat her on-the-job injury without worrying how to keep a roof above her head.

“I was working on a carousel that had become overloaded with baggage because we didn’t have enough staff that day,” Wright said. “I asked the supervisor for more help but he ignored me. In the meantime, I continued pulling baggage off of the carousel as fast as I could. Eventually, the passengers started to help me.”

But the next day, Wright was on crutches.

“I couldn’t afford to get the treatments that I needed for it and the accident set me way back-- both with my health and financially,” she said.

Wright isn’t alone in her struggles. Yvette Stevens, a baggage claim attendant who suffers from multiple sclerosis and osteoporosis, said health care isn’t just a cause célèbre for her… it’s a matter of survival.

Stevens said that the health insurance her employer offers is “beyond her means” and she no longer qualifies for Medicare or Medicaid. So instead, she’s been forced to go without treatments as the costs of treating her chronic conditions pile up.

“I live in total uncertainty,” Stevens said. “My pharmacist told me my insurance was no longer valid, but I need expensive medications and monthly shots to keep my conditions in check. I’ve had to ration my supply against my doctor’s orders.”

Stories like these prove that simply having health care insurance isn’t enough… it needs to be affordable, Weinberg said.

“Workers simply cannot afford the enormous costs of their employer’s medical insurance plans,” Weinberg urged. “The Healthy Terminals Act would give workers the opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty and get the treatments that so many desperately need.”

• See related article: Worker Protest At Newark Airport Is Inspired By MLK, Union Says
• See related article: Airport Workers Win 'Highest Min. Wage In US' After Long Battle

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