We Demand Personal Protective Equipment for Transit Workers!
Vice President Mike Pence and Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House Coronavirus Task Force
The coronavirus has claimed the lives of more than 100 transit workers in the United States.
The victims include Scott Ryan, 41, a bus operator at Community Transit in Snohomish County, Washington; Patrick Patoir, 57, an MTA worker in New York for 33 years; Jason Hargrove, 50, a Detroit bus operator; Eugenia Weathers, a school bus driver in Lexington, Kentucky; and Michael Hill, a conductor and 30-year SEPTA veteran in Philadelphia.
The federal government can and must take stronger steps to prevent such loss of life.
Bus and train operators, maintenance workers, and cleaning staff at transit agencies around the country are putting their lives on the line as they enable essential travel for millions of Americans, ensuring the continued supply of food, medical care, and other basic goods and services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Without strong federal coordination to procure PPE for transit workers, they face needless risks on the job.
We demand the White House coordinate provision of N95 masks and other protective gear for frontline transit workers.
This equipment will protect the transit workforce, which in turn will strengthen the overall effort to control the pandemic and minimize the spread of COVID-19. Nearly 3 million Americans classified as essential workers typically commute on transit, according to a TransitCenter analysis of U.S. Census data.
Right now transit agencies and local governments are all scrambling to acquire PPE for frontline workers. This chaotic, uncoordinated process is putting lives at risk. The federal government must step in and resolve supply chain issues as soon as possible. These protections will save the lives of transit workers, as well as the lives of nurses, doctors, food distribution workers, and other essential workers who rely on transit.
Petition by
To:
Vice President Mike Pence and Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House Coronavirus Task Force
From:
[Your Name]
Dear Vice President Pence, Dr. Birx, and Dr. Fauci:
Scott Ryan, 41, a bus operator at Community Transit in Snohomish County, Washington, died of coronavirus on March 26.
Patrick Patoir, an MTA worker in New York for 33 years, died of coronavirus on March 30 at the age of 57.
Jory “Jay” Bohanan, a Santa Clarita, California, bus driver, died of coronavirus on March 30.
Jason Hargrove, 50, a Detroit bus operator, died of coronavirus on April 1.
Eugenia Weathers, a school bus driver in Lexington, Kentucky for 17 years, died of coronavirus on April 4.
Michael Hill, a rail conductor in Philadelphia and 30-year SEPTA veteran, died of coronavirus on April 15.
Bus and train operators, maintenance workers, and cleaning staff at transit agencies around the country are risking their lives as they enable essential travel and ensure the continued provision of food, medical care, and other basic goods and services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many are doing so despite lacking access to adequate personal protective equipment (PPE).
We urgently request a more coordinated federal response to supply transit workers with necessary protective equipment.
Already, transit workers have had to cope with too much death and avoidable exposure to COVID-19. In New York City, transit workers have died at three times the combined rate of the city’s police and fire departments. Without stronger measures in place, the transit workforce will face unacceptable risks, and the overall effort to control the pandemic and minimize the spread of COVID-19 will be weakened.
Better protective gear will reduce these risks and save the lives of transit workers.
With fewer transit workers exposed, agencies will be able to maintain more service hours, reducing crowding on transit vehicles and improving safety for everyone on board.
Some agencies are mobilizing to provide PPE, but the response is inconsistent. Many agencies are not providing any protective face covering, for example. Cleaning staff lack the necessary hazard suits, masks, and gloves to work safely with disinfectants that may have long-lasting negative impacts on health.
Given the level of exposure faced by transit workers and the cascading effects of failing to protect them, the federal government must act to supply this equipment.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this urgent matter of public health and safety.