May Affect United, American, And Southwest Over Holiday Weekend

If you want to make a point about labor... what better time to get your message heard than just before Labor Day? Airline service workers representing the 2,500 employees who provide services from 'curb to cabin' at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) walked off the job at 1:30 pm Thursday, in response to what they term contractors' civil rights abuses and failure to bargain in good faith.

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1877 tells ANN that contractors who provide cleaning, security, wheelchair assistance, and baggage handling services for airlines at LAX have refused to provide quality jobs with access to affordable health care needed to ensure the highest quality services and security for airline passengers.

According to the union, LAX airport service workers are paid an average of $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 in California.

A bargaining session Thursday near LAX apparently went nowhere. Union officials say the companies -- G2 Secure Staff, Air Serv, Aviation Safeguards, and Aero Port Services -- 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.

The union also claims that in the past 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."

Jack Kyser, chief economist of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp, told the Torrance Daily Breeze travelers should prepare for delays and other hassles as a result of the strike, noting that's exactly what union workers are hoping for.

"It's going to cause some chaos and confusion and it's definitely going to be disruptive," Kyser said. "This is the kind of strike that's meant to be a nuisance and exert maximum disruption to everyone involved, but it's difficult to say what the overall economic impact will be. It just depends on how long they strike."

FMI: www.seiu1877.org, www.lawa.org