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| They’re Still Working at the Airports, and They’re Scared | They’re Still Working at the Airports, and They’re Scared |
| (3 days later) | |
| Since the coronavirus outbreak began, dozens of workers from the three major airports in the New York City area have been infected, and at least 17 have died, union officials said. | Since the coronavirus outbreak began, dozens of workers from the three major airports in the New York City area have been infected, and at least 17 have died, union officials said. |
| Those still on the job are afraid they could be next. | Those still on the job are afraid they could be next. |
| Most of the workers earn less than $20 an hour and do not have health insurance, because the cost of the coverage was more than they could afford on their salaries, they say. | Most of the workers earn less than $20 an hour and do not have health insurance, because the cost of the coverage was more than they could afford on their salaries, they say. |
| Four of those who died worked for LSG Sky Chefs, a large catering operation at Kennedy International Airport, and two worked for United Catering at Newark Liberty International, their union said. The others had a range of duties, from pushing travelers in wheelchairs to restocking airplane galleys. It’s not clear if they contracted the virus on the job. | Four of those who died worked for LSG Sky Chefs, a large catering operation at Kennedy International Airport, and two worked for United Catering at Newark Liberty International, their union said. The others had a range of duties, from pushing travelers in wheelchairs to restocking airplane galleys. It’s not clear if they contracted the virus on the job. |
| But workers who got sick said they had been worried about their working conditions. | But workers who got sick said they had been worried about their working conditions. |
| Manuel Fernandez, 64, who works at Kennedy, had given little thought to medical bills while he struggled to survive at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in Manhattan. | Manuel Fernandez, 64, who works at Kennedy, had given little thought to medical bills while he struggled to survive at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in Manhattan. |
| “I was basically saying goodbye to the world,” he said. | “I was basically saying goodbye to the world,” he said. |
| Mr. Fernandez, who was released from the hospital on Wednesday, works for LSG Sky Chefs in a building at Kennedy that receives serving carts from airplanes and cleans and restocks them. | Mr. Fernandez, who was released from the hospital on Wednesday, works for LSG Sky Chefs in a building at Kennedy that receives serving carts from airplanes and cleans and restocks them. |
| “We were all worried about the conditions because we work very close together,” Mr. Fernandez said. | “We were all worried about the conditions because we work very close together,” Mr. Fernandez said. |
| His employer, he said, did not tell him if co-workers were sick and only provided a mask when he demanded one. | His employer, he said, did not tell him if co-workers were sick and only provided a mask when he demanded one. |
| “They should have closed that kitchen,” he said, though he added that he is not certain he was infected at work. | “They should have closed that kitchen,” he said, though he added that he is not certain he was infected at work. |
| Companies and government agencies said they have taken major steps to safeguard their workers, including providing protective gear and conducting deep cleanings. | Companies and government agencies said they have taken major steps to safeguard their workers, including providing protective gear and conducting deep cleanings. |
| “We have developed and implemented comprehensive safety measures throughout all our facilities to safeguard our employees against health risks,” LSG Sky Chefs said in a statement. The plan includes social distancing, providing masks for employees who do not bring their own, health surveys and “enhanced disinfecting protocols,” it said. | “We have developed and implemented comprehensive safety measures throughout all our facilities to safeguard our employees against health risks,” LSG Sky Chefs said in a statement. The plan includes social distancing, providing masks for employees who do not bring their own, health surveys and “enhanced disinfecting protocols,” it said. |
| The company, which caters to airlines around the country, said it had placed employees on temporary leaves of absence because demand for in-flight meals had fallen 94 percent. | The company, which caters to airlines around the country, said it had placed employees on temporary leaves of absence because demand for in-flight meals had fallen 94 percent. |
| United Catering at Newark Liberty has reduced its staffing at the airport by about 85 percent and has taken several steps to protect the remaining 100 workers, said Charles Hobart, a spokesman for United Airlines. | United Catering at Newark Liberty has reduced its staffing at the airport by about 85 percent and has taken several steps to protect the remaining 100 workers, said Charles Hobart, a spokesman for United Airlines. |
| Those precautions included providing masks, gloves and hand sanitizer and taking workers’ temperatures before they enter the building. | Those precautions included providing masks, gloves and hand sanitizer and taking workers’ temperatures before they enter the building. |
| The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the three big airports that serve New York City, said it had distributed masks to employees and had increased the frequency of cleaning of airport terminals. | The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the three big airports that serve New York City, said it had distributed masks to employees and had increased the frequency of cleaning of airport terminals. |
| Though airports have stayed open, air travel has dropped to a fraction of normal levels. The Transportation Security Administration has been screening about 100,000 passengers daily across the country, down from more than 2 million before the pandemic. | Though airports have stayed open, air travel has dropped to a fraction of normal levels. The Transportation Security Administration has been screening about 100,000 passengers daily across the country, down from more than 2 million before the pandemic. |
| Thousands of airport workers have been laid off, but airlines, contractors and concessionaires have maintained small corps of employees. | Thousands of airport workers have been laid off, but airlines, contractors and concessionaires have maintained small corps of employees. |
| Two major unions that represent more than 20,000 workers at the three airports said their lists of member who have died of the virus are not comprehensive because they are counting only confirmed cases. | Two major unions that represent more than 20,000 workers at the three airports said their lists of member who have died of the virus are not comprehensive because they are counting only confirmed cases. |
| Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International said seven members had died, while Unite Here said at least 40 of its members had tested positive for the coronavirus and at least 10 had died. | Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International said seven members had died, while Unite Here said at least 40 of its members had tested positive for the coronavirus and at least 10 had died. |
| The Transportation Security Administration said 167 of its screening officers at the three airports had tested positive for the virus and one of them who worked at Newark Liberty died of Covid-19. | The Transportation Security Administration said 167 of its screening officers at the three airports had tested positive for the virus and one of them who worked at Newark Liberty died of Covid-19. |
| Donna Hampton, 60, a security officer in Terminal 7 at Kennedy, said she bought her own masks until last week, when her employer, a contractor to the terminal operator, provided her with reusable masks. | Donna Hampton, 60, a security officer in Terminal 7 at Kennedy, said she bought her own masks until last week, when her employer, a contractor to the terminal operator, provided her with reusable masks. |
| “It’s fear of the unknown, and the fear for me is real,” Ms. Hampton said. | “It’s fear of the unknown, and the fear for me is real,” Ms. Hampton said. |
| For several years, Unite Here and Local 32BJ organized protests at meetings of the Port Authority’s board of commissioners until the agency agreed to raise their minimum wage to $19 an hour, among the highest in the country. | For several years, Unite Here and Local 32BJ organized protests at meetings of the Port Authority’s board of commissioners until the agency agreed to raise their minimum wage to $19 an hour, among the highest in the country. |
| Now the unions are pushing legislation in Albany that would provide a supplement to the base wages to make health care affordable. | Now the unions are pushing legislation in Albany that would provide a supplement to the base wages to make health care affordable. |
| Juan C. Morales, who stocks a Starbucks and a Shake Shack at La Guardia Airport, said he, too, was worried — especially because he is diabetic. | Juan C. Morales, who stocks a Starbucks and a Shake Shack at La Guardia Airport, said he, too, was worried — especially because he is diabetic. |
| “It’s scary to go to work every morning,” he said. | “It’s scary to go to work every morning,” he said. |
| Mr. Morales, 46, lives in Manhattan with his wife and five children. He said he could not afford health insurance on his hourly wage of $17.60 and worried about bringing the virus home. | Mr. Morales, 46, lives in Manhattan with his wife and five children. He said he could not afford health insurance on his hourly wage of $17.60 and worried about bringing the virus home. |
| Updated August 17, 2020 | |
| “My wife is very paranoid,” he said. “She’s scared. But I’ve got to provide.” | “My wife is very paranoid,” he said. “She’s scared. But I’ve got to provide.” |
| Lorenzo W. Pincay, a Sky Chefs workers who died after testing positive for the coronavirus, had worked for the company at Kennedy for nearly six years, earning less than $16 an hour, said his son Luis. | Lorenzo W. Pincay, a Sky Chefs workers who died after testing positive for the coronavirus, had worked for the company at Kennedy for nearly six years, earning less than $16 an hour, said his son Luis. |
| After a short vacation, Mr. Pincay returned to work on March 23. On his second day back, he started to feel ill, his son said. | After a short vacation, Mr. Pincay returned to work on March 23. On his second day back, he started to feel ill, his son said. |
| Eventually, when Mr. Pincay started having trouble breathing, his family took him to Long Island Jewish Medical Center. | Eventually, when Mr. Pincay started having trouble breathing, his family took him to Long Island Jewish Medical Center. |
| “It was like taking a pet to the shelter,” Luis said. “We just park in the parking lot, and we never see him again.” | “It was like taking a pet to the shelter,” Luis said. “We just park in the parking lot, and we never see him again.” |
| Doctors there quickly put Mr. Pincay into an induced coma, Luis said. The next day his father’s coronavirus test came back positive, he said. | Doctors there quickly put Mr. Pincay into an induced coma, Luis said. The next day his father’s coronavirus test came back positive, he said. |
| Reports from the hospital gave Luis and his younger sister, Monica, hope that their father would recover. But on April 9, a doctor told Luis that the family should prepare for a FaceTime call to say their last goodbyes. | Reports from the hospital gave Luis and his younger sister, Monica, hope that their father would recover. But on April 9, a doctor told Luis that the family should prepare for a FaceTime call to say their last goodbyes. |
| Two days later, Mr. Pincay was declared dead, Luis said. Flying his body home to his native Ecuador, as the family had hoped to do, was not possible. | Two days later, Mr. Pincay was declared dead, Luis said. Flying his body home to his native Ecuador, as the family had hoped to do, was not possible. |
| The only alternative was a cremation, Luis said, but the soonest he could schedule one was April 30. He did not expect to be able to collect his father’s ashes until May 10, nearly a month after his death. | The only alternative was a cremation, Luis said, but the soonest he could schedule one was April 30. He did not expect to be able to collect his father’s ashes until May 10, nearly a month after his death. |
| Luis said representatives of Sky Chefs had tried to contact him, but he had not been in the mood to talk to them. | Luis said representatives of Sky Chefs had tried to contact him, but he had not been in the mood to talk to them. |
| “I’m not blaming the company,” Luis said, but he added that he thought it could have done more to protect employees. | “I’m not blaming the company,” Luis said, but he added that he thought it could have done more to protect employees. |
| Another Sky Chefs employee, Juan Leon, 58, said he and two family members tested positive for the coronavirus. Then Mr. Leon’s 78-year-old mother, Maria Marta Abando, who lived with him in the Corona neighborhood of Queens, started showing Covid-19 symptoms. | Another Sky Chefs employee, Juan Leon, 58, said he and two family members tested positive for the coronavirus. Then Mr. Leon’s 78-year-old mother, Maria Marta Abando, who lived with him in the Corona neighborhood of Queens, started showing Covid-19 symptoms. |
| Her daughter took her to a nearby hospital, where she died, Mr. Leon said. | Her daughter took her to a nearby hospital, where she died, Mr. Leon said. |
| He has not returned to work since he first reported his illness. “I know the virus is in that kitchen,” he said. | He has not returned to work since he first reported his illness. “I know the virus is in that kitchen,” he said. |