Airline Catering Workers Rally at Port Authority to Demand Minimum Wage Policy

Workers Deliver letter from 60+ City and State NY and NJ elected officials calling for action by Port to raise wages for all airport workers 

NEW YORK – Dozens of airline catering workers from Newark, LaGuardia and JFK airports rallied today at the Port Authority Board meeting to call on the Port to raise wages for all airport workers. Their demand was echoed in a letter signed by over 60 New York and New Jersey State & City lawmakers (http://bit.ly/2Cl49FX).

While United, American and Delta earned $9 billion in total profit in 2017, thousands of airport workers and their families continue to get left behind. Airline catering workers at Newark, LaGuardia and JFK are asking on the Port Authority to pass a minimum wage policy that would raise the wage-floor and raise living standards for tens of thousands of workers.

The workers who came talked about the difficult conditions they face on the job, how the lack of a raise in minimum wage has hurt them and their families and insisted that a new wage policy include ALL airport workers, including airline catering workers.

“I’ve worked in airline catering at Newark Airport for twelve years, but I still earn just a little over $12 per hour,” said Lea Bagnon, who works for United Airlines Catering Operations and is leading a union organizing campaign at Newark Airport. “We deserve higher wages for the work that we do – just like the rest of the workers at the airport.”

“I’ve been a driver for Gate Gourmet at LaGuardia Airport for 26 years,” said Franz Vieux. “As drivers charged with moving food through the airport to feed passengers on flights, we have to adhere to all the airport’s security measures. The work is stressful, and hard. We have sacrificed for our companies to help keep them afloat. After 9/11, we all agreed to a wage freeze that lasted four and a half years. Because the hourly wage is low, some workers have to work two shifts to earn what they need to survive. All airport workers need an increase in their wages.” 

There are 4,700 airline catering workers at EWR, JFK and LGA airports whose work is critical to the airports’ safety and success. In an area of the country with a high cost of living, a higher wage floor will allow airport workers to finally provide a decent stand of living for their families. The Port Authority has a chance to pass a wage policy at next month’s board meeting, which will take place in New Jersey on March 22.

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