Overview
New York’s Healthy Terminals Act (the “Act”) establishes specific standards for wage and benefit rates for covered airport workers at covered airport locations.
Starting January 1, 2026, this law will apply to anyone who works at least 50% of their time during any work week at a covered airport location. Covered airport locations include:
- LaGuardia and JFK International airports; and
- locations from where food to be consumed on airplanes departing from the above airports is prepared or delivered.
Employers with 11 or more employees must pay covered workers the wage and benefit rates designated by the NYS Commissioner of Labor. They must also provide paid leave, as similarly designated.
As of January 1, 2026, Department of Labor Commissioner Reardon designates the applicable standard rate for airport workers covered by the Healthy Terminals Act as equal to the determinations in effect by the General Services Administration pursuant to the federal McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act of 1965. This includes both the wage and benefit rates, as well as the paid vacation and holiday requirements. Note, that regardless of this designation, the wage rate for covered airport workers may not be less than the applicable Port Authority of New York and New Jersey minimum wage rate.
The Healthy Terminals Act Wage and Benefit Rate
Required Wage Rate Posters
Article 19-D of NYS Labor Law
The full text of Article 19-D of the New York State Labor Law, detailing minimum wage rates for covered airport workers, starting January 1, 2026, is available at the link below.