Every week, Al Galuppo fills his SUV to the brim with meals, donating them to front-line workers including doctors, nurses, and firefighters. The longtime Port of Long Beach foreman along with fellow members in the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 94 have donated more than $15,000 in meals since the pandemic started.
“These people are running to Covid,” Galuppo said. “The normal person, we are running from Covid so we’re just really trying to say thank you to these people.”
While he’s supporting front-line workers, Galuppo also tends to the front-lines of the supply chain, supervising workers as they move cargo at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. He helps ensure residents get the items they need, including personal protective equipment and essential items, while trying to protect himself from the coronavirus.
“I have a family and I don’t want to take it home to them, so it’s always on my mind, but you know, through our procedures and safety protocols, I’ve been fortunate not to get it,” he said.
That means donning PPE, working outside, and socially distancing, but as the flow of cargo continues to surge at the ports, Galuppo says they need every available worker. In fact, ILWU Local 94 is among those asking state officials for dock workers to be deemed essential and prioritized for the COVID-19 vaccine, especially given recent spikes in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations.