What a Top Labor Leader for Travel Learned From the Pandemic
Photo Credit: One of the leaders of the Transport Workers Union International (whose members are pictured here) shares his views of what he learned from the pandemic and its impact on his rank-and-file and labor in the travel sector. Getty Images / Svitlana Hulko
Skift Take
The pandemic has taken a toll on the frontline workers at the Transport Workers Union, but action and compassion go a long way. Industry employers need to take note and make adjustments as their frontline workers return.
For the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU), representing over 150,000 union workers across airlines, transit, utilities, railroads and other services, the pandemic has been a time of mourning — and yet a time for growth.
The union itself was born out of crisis, launching in New York City during the Great Depression. And it continues to tackle tough challenges, especially this past year, whether it was by airport baggage handlers, bus drivers, train conductors, or ticket agents, to name just a few jobs within TWU.
The union suffered the greatest loss of life to coronavirus within its transit division. Of 177 members nationwide succumbing to coronavirus across all the industries that TWU covers, the bulk of them —107 transit workers — occurred in New York, said Alex Garcia, international executive vice president of the TWU.
"We got a lot of infections and lost a lot of people in the airlines, but I can honestly tell you it's a fraction compared to our transit," said
