Visitors to Hawaii Can Skip Quarantine Thanks to United’s COVID Testing

Visitors to Hawaii Can Skip Quarantine Thanks to United’s COVID Testing

Oct 19, 2020 | COVID, Featured News, Front Page, Page Four, Page Three, Page Two, Perusals, Row 2, Safety, Safety, Uncategorized, United | 0 comments

United Airlines passengers traveling from San Francisco to Hawaii may bypass the state’s quarantine requirements by taking a rapid-result COVID test from the airline. 

In a collaboration with the San Francisco International Airport (SFO), United customers now have the option to take a rapid COVID-19 test before their flight, either at the airport or at a nearby drive-through location at United’s Maintenance Center. 

State authorities in Hawaii approved the program which will allow visitors to the islands to skip the mandated quarantine upon arrival. Previously, those traveling to Hawaii had to remain separated from the population for up to two weeks. 

United was the first airline to offer passengers COVID testing. 

United, working with the administration of the San Francisco International Airport, will make two tests available to customers traveling to Hawaii: a rapid test option taken at the airport on the day of travel or a drive-through test administered 48 to 72 hours before departure. Customers who produce a negative test result through either option will be exempt from quarantine requirements in Lihue, Maui, and Honolulu. Customers traveling to Kona will be required to take a second complimentary test when they arrive on the island to avoid quarantine.

“We are living in a new world with COVID-19,” said Erik Stenberg, District 141 Safety Chairman and Assistant General Chair. “Offering a rapid result COVID test to passengers is a great step for United Airlines to help restore travel to Hawaii safely after COVID-19 had essentially stopped it over the last 7 months. Measures like this one will become more common in everyday life.” 

The rapid Abbott ID NOW COVID-19 test is available at an on-site testing facility in SFO’s International Terminal outside the security checkpoint. Customers based in San Francisco can schedule their visits online and receive results in about 15 minutes. The on-site testing facility is open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT, and customers should make an appointment at least three hours before their flight, as no walk-in appointments are available.

Customers taking the drive-through test option can schedule an appointment online and should make the appointment 48 to 72 hours before their flight departure. Walk-in appointments are not available. After a customer takes the test, they will receive the results via email in 24 to 48 hours. The drive-through testing facility is located at United’s San Francisco Maintenance Center parking lot at 800 S Airport Blvd–a short drive away from the airport. 

    RELATED ARTICLES

Mary Sansom Has Receipts: A union activist who has recorded and made history

Mary Sansom Has Receipts: A union activist who has recorded and made history

Oct 16, 2020 | Community Service, Community Service Page, Education, Featured, Featured News, Front Page, MNPL, Organizing, Page Five, Page Four, Page Three, Page Two, retirement, Row 2, Safety, Video | 0 comments

“Shut ‘Em Down!”

Mary Sansom has fought for airline workers for decades, taking on managers, politicians, and even retirement on the way.

Sister Mary Sansom was initiated into Local 1833 of the Machinists Union in 1973 when she began working in the flight kitchen at Northwest Airlines in Minneapolis, Minnesota. One of her co-workers “dragged” her to local meetings, but she did not fully understand the value of union membership (among other things) until she was furloughed during a pilots strike 5 years later. She marks that as the beginning of her “union education” that has guided her through more strikes, airline mergers, and also many successes as a champion for working people.

Mary has served as Chief Steward and has been recognized for her work as a safety advocate. As the first woman to chair the Labor Division of the National Safety Council, she has received several awards for her service. She has represented Local 1833 in 5 Grand Lodge Conventions, where she earned the nickname “Shut ‘Em Down Mary” because of her strong criticism of airline mergers and the immense pain they inflict on workers. In 2006, she was recognized again by the Machinists & Aerospace Union as “Sister of the Month” for the United States.

During a turbulent period in the airline industry in the 1990s, Mary continued her advocacy work as a delegate to the IAMAW Legislative Conference and the Minnesota State Council of Machinists. She was elected Recording Secretary of Local 1833 in 2000, a position she still holds, even after her retirement in 2010. 

As a retiree, Sister Mary stays active as Recording Secretary for the Minnesota State Council of Machinists, is a founding member and serves as Recording Secretary for the Minnesota State Council Machinists Retirees, and is the president of the Local 1833 Retired Members Social Club.

We are pleased to welcome Mary Sansom to the District 141 Video Report.

     Related Stories

LAST CALL FOR THE CENSUS: Stand Up and Be Counted

LAST CALL FOR THE CENSUS: Stand Up and Be Counted

Oct 14, 2020 | Featured, Featured News, Front Page, MNPL, Row 2 | 0 comments

The US Census Bureau announced this week it will end all operations to gather data for the 2020 Census at 11:59 PM Hawaii Standard Time on Thursday, October 15, after the Supreme Court agreed to suspend an order from a lower court that extended the timeline for the national count.

What Happens Now?

If you did not receive a form in the mail from the Census Bureau, you can still respond via email or phone. Visit my2020census.gov to begin the process. It only takes 10 minutes, on average, to complete the questionnaire. You can also respond via phone at 844-330-2020. There is assistance available over the phone in 13 languages other than English. There are also guides and instructions available for download in 59 languages.

Data from the census is used to determine each state’s representation in Congress and in the Electoral College, and to guide the distribution of public funds. An undercount of the population can have a severe negative impact on any community, which stands to lose funding for education and school lunches, public transport, roads, bridges and other infrastructure, hospitals and health programs, the arts, and many other public works for ten years.

All information provided on the census is confidential and cannot be shared with another government agency, court, financial institution, or landlord. There are no questions on citizenship.

If you have completed the census, thank you! Please take time now to send a quick note to everyone you think may have let this slide in the face of so many challenges this year. Young families, renters, students, people with disabilities, and marginalized groups are historically under-counted, and they stand to lose the most.

We all count! Let’s put it in writing.

 

Be Counted

my2020Census.gov

    RELATED ARTICLES

“Vote Early, Stay Safe” Pennsylvania Machinists Get Out the Vote on the Streets of Philadelphia

“Vote Early, Stay Safe” Pennsylvania Machinists Get Out the Vote on the Streets of Philadelphia

Oct 14, 2020 | COVID, Education, Featured, Featured News, Front Page, MNPL, Organizing, Page Five, Page Four, Page Three, Page Two, Perusals, Row 2, Video | 0 comments

A small army of Fighting Machinists took to the streets of Philadelphia this week to encourage union members to get out and vote.

In-person early voting is underway in Pennsylvania, and members of IAM Air Transport Local 1776 left voting information on the doors of 1,030 union households in neighborhoods of South Philadelphia. The Machinists GOTV event was coordinated with the Pennsylvania State AFL-CIO, where Obie O’Brien, a member of Local 1776 serves as Vice President and IAM Representative. 

 

The IAM team, led by Local 1776 President Larry Reeves and former President Rich Howell, included Maurice Bonner, James Brown, Jason Custis, Milo Dabney, Elliot Eldridge, Tom Marshall, Andre Robinson, Troy Smack, Bill Zebley, and Dave Lehive, who is also a District 141 Communications Representative. 

“We were received very warmly in the neighborhoods where we worked. Several people thanked us for sharing information about how people can vote early and stay safe,” said Ines Garcia-Keim, President of the New Jersey State Council of Machinists, who joined the team with her husband John, a member of the American Federation of Musicians. “We are thrilled to be here to help the Machinists Union Get Out the Vote effort in one of the targeted states in the Eastern Territory,” she added.

IAM members may find information regarding our endorsed candidates, opportunities to volunteer, and other resources at https://iam2020.org/get-out-the-vote/, or by contacting your local’s president or legislative committee. 

 

     Related Stories

Supreme Court Nominee has Troubling Anti-Union Track Record

Supreme Court Nominee has Troubling Anti-Union Track Record

Oct 14, 2020 | Featured, Featured News, Front Page, GOIAM Stories, MNPL, Page Five, Page Four, Page Three, Page Two, Perusals, Row 2, Uncategorized, Video | 0 comments

The IAM Legal department is raising concerns about Amy Coney Barrett’s anti-labor record as a federal circuit judge.

“As a graduate of the University of Notre Dame Law School, I know Amy Coney Barrett very well. Her positions and her approach to the law are actually a threat to American workers and other under-represented groups.”

-Laura Ewan,
IAMAW Associate General Counsel

     Related Stories

Labor Movement Helping Families Impacted By Hurricane Delta

Labor Movement Helping Families Impacted By Hurricane Delta

Oct 13, 2020 | Community Service, Community Service Page, Featured, Featured News, Front Page, Organizing, Page Five, Page Four, Page Three, Page Two, Perusals, Row 2, Safety | 0 comments

Statement from AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka after Hurricane Delta strikes Louisiana:

The entire labor movement offers our heartfelt prayers to the people of Louisiana, who continue to show amazing strength in the face of too many natural disasters. Hurricane Delta struck an already-ravaged area that just six weeks ago was hit by Hurricane Laura. The labor movement always comes together in times like these, and our people on the ground are already assessing the needs of families, and will use all our expertise and resources to help those impacted recover as quickly as possible. The people of Louisiana are resilient, and our fighting spirit will get us through this difficult time.

Contact: Carolyn Bobb (202) 637-5018

The IAMAW Disaster Relief Fund

The IAM Disaster Relief Fund provides assistance in situations where our members and their families endure hardships due to natural disasters. The IAM reacts quickly to these needs before other sources of assistance are able. This is not possible without the support of those who have committed to keeping the IAM Disaster Relief Fund vibrant and healthy. Thank you for your contribution.

Join

    RELATED ARTICLES