Gig workers in NC need abortion care protections | Opinion

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Gig workers need abortion protections

The writer is CEO of Stride Health, a benefits provider for gig workers.

After Roe v. Wade was struck down, many companies offered benefits to employees seeking abortion care. North Carolina residents may soon need to take advantage of some of these benefits.

Social conservatives in the N.C. legislature are expected to try to pass anti-abortion legislation this year that would ban abortion after 6 weeks of pregnancy, as opposed to current law which allows it up to 20 weeks.

The abortion care benefits some companies now offer often only apply to full-time workers. Millions of gig workers around the country, including in North Carolina, are losing out. Most of these workers don’t qualify for employer benefits. And many are women — often young, low-income and underserved minorities — and they deserve better.

The Biden administration should move quickly to support a “safe harbor” so companies can extend abortion benefits to all workers without triggering worker classification questions. So should state governments. With a Republican-controlled House, providing “safe harbor” for companies is likely the strongest action the administration can take.

Companies should also invest in national abortion funds. As more states restrict abortion, women are being forced to travel great distances to get care. Companies can contribute to organizations that provide financial support to those seeking such care. They can also match worker contributions to these funds and direct non-benefited staff to these funds when they need care.

Almost 66 clinics in 15 states have closed, meaning nearly 22 million women cannot access safe abortion care. Those who are not on payroll with an organization that has promised protection and/or those without employer-sponsored health insurance are less likely to be able to cross state lines to get the care they need.

Federal and state governments, and companies need to step up. We need all hands on deck to expand access to abortion care, regardless of the way in which they work.

Noah Lang

Reduce hunger, help NC farmers

The writer is a UNC Medical School student and NC Schweitzer Fellow.

More than one in every 10 North Carolinians are food insecure, meaning they cannot afford enough food for a healthy life.

The consequences of hunger are grave: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, depression, anxiety, asthma, poor brain function, and early death have all been linked to poor food access.

How does a state with an identity deeply rooted in farming have such a problem with hunger? Complex food systems have separated local food production from the everyday North Carolinian. Yet, we have an untapped opportunity to reconnect farmers with their hungry neighbors — the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly called food stamps).

SNAP allows recipients to buy local produce at partnering farmers markets. Recipients cash in their benefits for vouchers that can be used at farm stands. Then, farmers redeem those vouchers for payment from the market management team.

Hungry North Carolinians gain access to nutritious food, while farmers receive fair payment for their hard work. It’s a win-win.

The program has been steadily growing, but North Carolina has plenty of room to improve. Less than half of North Carolina’s 235 farmers markets accept SNAP. Why? Perhaps it requires more volunteers or employees than smaller farmers markets can support. Infrastructure barriers, like spotty internet access and costly EBT machines, also limit implementation. Some farmers market managers may not know that the program exists.

Bringing awareness is an easy first step to broaden SNAP’s reach.

Anyone can contact their local county Extension Office to see if the program is available. If you are a farmer or a market manager, the Farmers Market Coalition and RAFI-USA’s Come to the Table Program provide helpful resources and grant opportunities to help you start accepting SNAP. We can all help ensure that our neighbors have access to a basic human need — food. Even better, if we can benefit our local farmers’ revenue in the process.

Anna Dodson, Chapel Hill