From:            Joseph Lachman
To:                Commission-Public-Records
Cc:                Michael Byun; Shomya Tripathy
Subject:           [EXTERNAL] ACRS Comment in Support of Healthcare for Airport Workers
Date:              Wednesday, April 1, 2020 11:07:20 AM
Attachments:      image001.png
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To the Port of Seattle Commission:

Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS) is writing to submit public comment to the Port of
Seattle in support of airport workers impacted by COVID-19. These workers include many Asian
Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) who have been laid off as a result of the pandemic outbreak,
and are furthermore at risk of losing health insurance, which is now more critically needed than
ever.

We write to urge the Port of Seattle to ensure that AAPIs and others employed at the airport do not
lose their health insurance as a result of layoffs and are also guaranteed the right to return to their
jobs when they become available again. Airport workers' access to healthcare and rehiring is critical
to the long-term well-being of the workers themselves, their families, and our communities.

ACRS promotes social justice and the well-being and empowerment of AAPIs and other underserved
communities  including immigrants, refugees, and American-born  by developing, providing and
advocating for innovative, effective and efficient community-based multilingual and multicultural
services. We serve over 30,000 community members each year in over 40 languages and dialects.

Thank you for taking time to consider the critical needs of vulnerable working communities during
this public health crisis.

Sincerely,

Asian Counseling Referral Service
3639 Martin Luther King Jr. Way South
Seattle, WA 98144
www.acrs.org