By Yvette Stephens
Juneteenth, the day Americans commemorate the end of slavery, this year falls at the hundred-day mark of the coronavirus pandemic. The past 100 days have changed the world in many ways. For me, a Black woman living in Elizabeth with my kids and grandson, these changes make my future uncertain.
I was laid off from my job as a security officer at Newark Liberty International Airport back in March because of the pandemic. With the stay-at-home order lifted and bailout money finally flowing to airlines, I could be going back to work soon. To be honest, I’m scared to go back; I’m immunocompromised and don’t have health insurance. If I become sick with the coronavirus, God forbid, I can’t pay that bill and I worry about surviving it.
That’s why since January, my coworkers and I have fought to pass the Healthy Terminals Act, a bill in New Jersey and New York that would enable 40,000 airport workers, including myself, access to meaningful, affordable health insurance. This was a common-sense bill before COVID-19 ravaged our community, but I’m still explaining to lawmakers in Trenton that health insurance is necessary for essential airport workers during a pandemic.
About 10,000 airport workers at Newark International Airport (EWR) don’t have health insurance or are underinsured. I see alarms going off in their eyes when I tell them this, but the legislation still hasn’t been heard, despite strong support and sponsorship in both chambers. Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin and Senate President Steve Sweeney need to post this bill now and protect thousands of workers and their communities.
I see racial injustice when the majority of workers at EWR — Black and brown people — are uninsured or underinsured while servicing the billion-dollar airline industry. And yet, during this pandemic, many airport workers were deemed essential. They were on the front lines. Among my union, we lost 20 members in New Jersey and hundreds more were sickened with the virus.
My job was risky even before COVID-19. It requires me to connect with people from all over the world— one reason why I love it— but it doesn’t offer me health insurance that I can actually pay for. With my union, we won yearly wage increases, so I can keep up with the rent, bills and my kids. But a bigger paycheck meant that Medicare/Medicaid dropped me, and I’ve struggled to obtain health insurance for nearly a year.
It’s almost impossible to treat my multiple sclerosis and other conditions that make me immunocompromised without healthcare. When I was laid off from my job in March, I thought I would qualify for some affordable health plans, considering that I’m disabled and laid off. But so far, nothing. It’s aggravating.
It’s been three months since I’ve taken the shots my doctor prescribes — they cost $1,000/month without insurance. I had to refuse a necessary, $3,000 MRI and several doctor visits. My doctor wants to see me and wants me to take medications for survival, but I can’t afford it. I’m in pain, and I can’t do much about it but ask God for mercy.
We need the Healthy Terminals Act more than ever as our country takes a serious look at racism. If anything good comes out of the calls for change now taking place, let it be that our legislature raises standards for the thousands of Black and brown people who work at Newark Liberty. Let it be the immediate passage of the Healthy Terminals Act. Let the standards of working rise up as we reflect upon our nation this Juneteenth.
Yvette Stephens is a security officer at Newark Liberty International Airport and a member of Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ.
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