Albany, New York – This past week, Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-South Queens), voted with her colleagues to pass the ‘Healthy Terminals Act’ to ensure that airport workers are paid fair wages and have access to certain benefits including healthcare. The legislation was spearheaded by Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and introduced/sponsored by Assemblywoman Alicia Hyndman.

“I commend Speaker Heastie, Assemblywoman Hyndman and my Assembly colleagues for making this legislation a priority,” Pheffer Amato said. “Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic many of my constituents have been employed as airport workers and it is vital that they receive the same protections as every other front line worker and that includes fair compensation and access to healthcare. I am confident that this legislation will ensure equity for these workers.”

The Healthy Terminals Act seeks to reduce turnover and enhance health and safety among workers at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), La Guardia International Airport, and New York Stewart Airport by requiring that such covered airport workers receive the prevailing wage consistent with Article 9 of the Labor Law. This requirement will provide for a stronger, more developed and trained workforce that will help protect and secure these critical locations. These workers will receive wages and fringe benefits, including health care, based on their job classification and region.

The Act has been dedicated to the memory of Leland Jordan, a baggage handler at JFK who fought for eight years for better working conditions, wages and health care for these workers. Leland tragically passed away in April of this year due to COVID-19, making the fight for affordable health care for frontline airport workers even more urgent.