Airport Workers across the country plan to strike

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Airport Workers across the country plan to strike

Airport workers across the country are rallying and walking off the job Thursday to draw attention to their current working conditions and legislation that could improve them.

Workers at 15 U.S. airports, including ones in Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City and Phoenix, plan to participate in on-site rallies. Formal strikes that could disrupt operations are planned at Boston's Logan International Airport, Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport.

The actions are expected to take place throughout the day, and will include cabin cleaners, baggage handlers, janitors, security guards, wheelchair attendants and others.

In a statement provided by the Service Employees International Union, Verna Montalvo, a cabin cleaner at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, said that airport workers like me and working people are fed up with the action.

The rally is in support of the Good Jobs for Good Airports ActGood Airports Act, which was introduced in June by Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass. It would set a minimum wage of $15 for airport service workers, as well as make sure they have paid time off, holidays, adequate health care, and other benefits. It would be similar to what other federal contractors receive.

Without us, no one could travel safely to visit their families over the holidays. I can't support my family on poverty wages because of the smiles on passengers' faces, which gives me a sense of pride, but it also comes at a huge cost, according to Montalvo.

Workers at Logan, O'Hare and Newark airports are going on strike to protest unfair labor conditions alleged against their direct employer, Swissport International AG.

With the holiday season upon us, it is more important that employers in Boston and nationwide pay airport workers the money they deserve while respecting their legally protected right to unionize, according to Roxana Rivera, executive vice president of SEIU local 32 BJ.

Swissport denied any unfair labor practices were being committed, according to a statement by Swissport. It said it fullycomplies with labor regulations and operating permits, and that it provides competitive wages and benefits.

This year's unprecedented air travel snarls have spilled over into the working lives of airport staffers who have been blamed for delays and have seen their time to clean planes shortened to just a few minutes, SEIU said in a release.

The union said that workers at LaGuardia International Airport in New York City have been told to work as cabin cleaners when they are in charge of unloading bags from planes.

Omar Rodriquez, a ramp agent and cabin cleaner at LaGuardia, said in a statement that we get blamed for delays, but we are only given a few minutes to clean and don't have enough people to do the work. We don't want to stay because the pay and benefits are not enough for what we do. Markey will be in a news conference Thursday on Capitol Hill in Washington in support of the Good Airports bill, which will feature Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. Rep. Chuy Garcia, D-Ill. and others.