Published: August 28, 2008
LAX Workers Walking Off Job Today To Protest Service Companies' Civil Rights Abuses, Continue Call for Good Jobs Needed to Ensure Quality Services and Airport Security
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Airline service workers
representing the 2,500 employees who provide services from 'curb to cabin' at
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) are walking off the job at 1:30 P.M.
today in response to contractors' civil rights abuses and failure to bargain
in good faith. Service contractors who provide cleaning, security, wheelchair
assistance, and baggage handling services for airlines at LAX have refused to
provide the quality jobs with access to affordable health care needed to
ensure the highest quality services and security for airline passengers. At a
bargaining session today near LAX, the companies-G2 Secure Staff, Air Serv,
Aviation Safeguards, and Aero Port Services again refused to make a proposal
to the workers about improvements in training or wage and benefit increases,
despite months of negotiations and the presence of a federal mediator at this
week's talks. In the last several weeks workers also have begun reporting
incidents of threats and harassment by their supervisors on the job over their
support for the union.
"No one wants to have to strike, but they have given us no other choice,"
says Jose Hernandez, a wheelchair assistance worker with Aero Port Services
and member of the airport workers' bargaining committee. "We're proud to take
care of the passengers who need it most-but we also need to be able to take
care of our families. Good jobs and good service for passengers go hand in
hand."
LAX airport service workers are paid an average of only $10.50/hour or
$19,000 per year-far short of the $54,000 per year the Economic Policy
Institute reports it would take to support a family of four inCalifornia.
For months, workers, passengers rights advocates, clergy, and community
leaders have been calling for improved training, more adequate equipment, and
wage and benefit increases that would stem turnover rates among airline
service workers currently as high as 50 percent annually.
Visit www.seiu1877.org for more information. Sign-up for Twitter Updates
at: twitter.com/airportworkers
Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1877 is part of SEIU
United Service Workers West, representing more than 40,000 janitors, security
officers, airport service workers, and other property service workers across
California. SEIU is the fastest growing labor union in the Americas with more
than 2 million members.
SOURCE Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1877
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