January 18, 2019 – Westchester County Executive George Latimer and AvPorts, the company tasked with the day to day management of the Westchester County Airport, are teaming up to provide relief to airport employees impacted by the record-long government shutdown.
Actions taken to provide relief include:
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Advance of gasoline fill-ups from AvPorts for employee vehicles who can’t afford gas to get work – all fill-ups will be reimbursed after the conclusion of the shutdown;
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Small, interest-free loans from AvPorts to employees who are in danger of missing rent, car, or mortgage payments; and
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Part-time security personnel positions through AvPorts for employees who may need some extra sources of income to make ends meet in lieu of receiving their federal paycheck.
These actions are in addition to the meal vouchers already being provided to County Airport staff who have been coming to work without pay.
Latimer said: “This shutdown has now hit the three-week mark – with no end in sight. With paychecks missed for these vital public safety workers, we hope these actions can provide some relief to hard-working Westchester families who have become political pawns in Washington’s games. I thank AvPorts for their generosity and support for our Westchester family.”
AvPorts Westchester County Airport Management said: “Westchester is our home and our dedicated employees are our family. These missed paychecks will cost much more than the retroactive pay that will hopefully be approved by Congress – because you can’t defer interest that will accumulate. We are proud to join with County Executive Latimer to help provide some relief to Westchester’s federal workforce who have gone without pay while they continue to work to keep us all safe.”