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More LaGuardia and JFK workers will get paid time off and health coverage under new state law
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Jun 27, 2025
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Courtesy Gov. Kathy Hochul's office
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Jun 27, 2025
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Thousands of workers — many of them immigrants — who help keep the city’s airports running are now entitled to paid time off and health care benefits, under an expanded state labor law announced by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday.
The changes to the Healthy Terminals Act, which apply to part-time employees at JFK and LaGuardia airports, will extend benefits to more food service workers, cleaners, baggage handlers and other essential staff.
The amendments were included in the state’s recently approved 2026 budget.
“These workers deserve to earn a living wage with good benefits and live with dignity in a state that is affordable,” Hochul said at a press conference at LaGuardia.
The new benefits build on existing protections under the Healthy Terminals Act and follow a state-mandated wage increase passed in December. That plan will eventually raise the minimum wage for airport workers to $25 an hour by 2032. Part-time workers had previously been excluded from the benefits.
The move comes as labor conditions at major airports remain under scrutiny. Last month, air traffic controllers at Newark Liberty International Airport said some workers were taking trauma leave due to high stress, staffing shortages and aging equipment.
Airport workers — particularly at JFK and LaGuardia — support a high-volume travel economy. Last year, more than 52 million international travelers passed through New York City’s airports, breaking pre-pandemic records.
“JFK International and LaGuardia are high-volume gateways into New York state and are major hubs of economic activity,” said state Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon. “I applaud Governor Hochul for continuing to go to bat for our workforce, and for ensuring that these airport workers, the muscle behind these economic engines, receive fair pay and benefits.”
Union leaders said the win was the result of years of organizing, especially by immigrant and low-wage workers, to secure benefits long denied to them.
Tagged
economy
new york state
transportation
Giulia Heyward
Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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