US airport workers fear for safety on Covid frontline, survey reveals

Airport workers in the US are on the frontline of the Covid pandemic yet many feel they are being unnecessarily exposed to risk through inadequate safety equipment or failure to offer sick pay, according to a new survey. Of almost 900 workers from 42 airports across America, 80% said they felt their work puts them at increased risk of Covid-19 with one in five saying they hadn't been given PPE by their employer, airport or airline, the Service Employees International Union survey reported. Concerns were also raised about inadequate training, pressure and lack of time off and healthcare -- more than half those surveyed said they don't have the right to paid sick leave. Airports and airlines have told CNN that their workers are properly protected, however, the union said its survey revealed that many staff, who are often contracted by external companies, felt let down. SEIU Executive VP Rocío Saenz says that the union conducted the survey in September 2020 after hearing stories about health and safety concerns from airport workers across the country. "We wanted to get a sense of how widespread these concerns about health and safety were," she saod. "We also knew that Black and brown communities were especially impacted by Covid-19 and airport workers come from these communities. These workers are a critical piece of the industry and shouldn't be left out of the response to Covid." Of the almost 900 workers surveyed in the report, 37% were Latinx/Hispanic and 32% were Black/African American. Immigrants accounted for 54% of those surveyed. Terminal and cabin cleaners, baggage handlers, security officers and wheelchair attendants were among respondents to the union's questions. The report highlights concerns about inadequate workplace protection from Covid. Only half of the airport workers surveyed said their employer provided them with masks.<br/>