MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FLA. (WSVN) - Months into the pandemic, many organizations in South Florida and around the country continue to feed a need.
Airline employees have been among the hardest hit group of workers as business travel screeched to a halt.
Juan Carlos Liscano, the Vice President of American Airlines Caribbean, said, “We can never lose sight of our need to help take care of everyone that makes up this airport community, that helps this industry move along.”
American Airlines partnered with local unions and Farmshare to provide groceries and meals for 1,000 airline workers Thursday.
Georgina Felix, President of CWA Local, said, “When we got here this morning at 6:45, the traffic was already backed up. Everybody was so anxious, and we got set up.”
Part-time American Airlines employees have had their hours cut to 12 hours a week. Many can’t pay healthcare premiums and don’t qualify for unemployment since they make just a few dollars more than the state’s weekly benefit of $275.
Jonathan Low, an airport worker, said, “I live in a huge family of seven or eight, so we go through food pretty fast. With the quarantine and everything, it’s always hard to put food on the table.”
Things may be turning around, however.
Liscano said, “We’re seeing a gradual increase of demand. Just a few days ago we’ve increased our schedule and added quite a few destinations to the Caribbean. We just started flying back to the Bahamas, and there’s a significant demand for visiting family, friends and relatives to the Bahamas right now.”
On July 14, there will be a resource fair at Miami International Airport for all airline employees.
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