This archive report was first published on 6 May 2020.
As I reflect on the early days of the pandemic, I remember the sense of dread that settled in when I heard about the first MTA worker to die from Covid-19 on March 27. It was a stark reminder that we were on the frontlines of a crisis, and that our lives were at risk every time we stepped onto the subway platform.
My colleagues and I took to Facebook to express our grief and condolences, but our responses were tinged with a sense of numbness and curiosity. We knew that many of us wouldn't make it through the pandemic, and yet we continued to show up to work every day, often without the proper protection.
One of the most striking things about working during the pandemic was the stark contrast between the MTA's rhetoric and reality. On Facebook, our group pages were filled with jokes and memes about the virus, but behind the scenes, we were struggling to get basic personal protective equipment (PPE). It wasn't until a week after the pandemic was declared that the MTA agreed to supply us with masks, and even then, they were cheaply made and often ineffective.
As a conductor, I was particularly vulnerable to the virus. I spent hours every day breathing in the steel dust and germs that lingered on the subway trains and platforms. And yet, when I asked my superiors for PPE, I was told that healthy people didn't need masks, and that doctors needed them more. It was a staggering display of callousness and disregard for our well-being.
Eventually, the MTA did agree to supply us with N95 masks and hand sanitizer, but it was too little, too late. By the time I developed severe body aches, chills, and a dry cough, I had already been exposed to the virus for weeks. I was hospitalized for 14 days, and when I finally tested positive for Covid-19, I was forced to quarantine for another two weeks.
But I was lucky. Many of my colleagues were not so fortunate. At least 98 New York transit workers have died of Covid-19 since March 27, and the conditions created by the pandemic have driven home the fact that we essential workers are treated with the utmost disrespect, as though we're expendable. It's a bitter truth that we're only beginning to confront, but one that we must acknowledge if we're to stand up for our interests and our lives.
