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• Living-Wage Victory in LA February 5, 2007

  Last September 28, more than 2,000 people marched down Century Boulevard near Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and more than 300 people, including two LA City Council members and other elected officials, clergy, union leaders and students, were arrested as part of a well-orchestrated civil disobedience sit-in--to protest the mistreatment of low-wage hotel workers by thirteen hotels in the airport area.

  The grassroots campaign culminated four months later, on January 31, when the LA City Council voted to extend the city's living-wage law to the 3,500 employees at the LAX hotels. Their pay will bump up to $10.64 an hour on July 1, and they'll get ten days of paid vacation, a significant improvement for most of the workers, primarily immigrants from Mexico and Central America.

  
  
  
• THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 28TH HISTORIC CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE September 28, 2006
  WHAT: Thousands will march and 400 immigrants, workers, religious leaders, community members and students will shut down Century Blvd. near t
  
  
• New Labor Group Beginning Drive for Higher Pay April 22, 2006 In their first major initiative since quitting the A.F.L.-C.I.O., the breakaway unions are beginning a drive to increase the wages of, and perhaps unionize, 50 million service workers.

  The effort will focus on workers whose jobs cannot be shipped overseas - hotel maids, nursing-home aides, school bus drivers, truck drivers at seaports and others - with the goal of assuring them affordable health insurance, retirement security and higher wages.
  
  

About the Industry

An important part of UNITE HERE
Airport workers, employed in the in-flight catering and terminal concession industries, are the third largest group of workers represented by UNITE HERE behind those employed in hotels and gaming. In total, the Union represents between 33,000 and 34,000 workers in the airport sector. Of these, approximately 20,500 work in in-flight catering, 11,300 in food and beverage and retail concessions, and approximately 1,600 in hotels located on airport property and in other airport classifications such as skycaps.

A Strong Union Presence in Top Industry Companies

In-flight
Approximately 80% of the U.S. in-flight industry is unionized. UNITE HERE represents 100% of market leader LSG Sky Chefs’ workers under a Master National Agreement. Workers employed by the industry’s second largest company, Gate Gourmet (formerly Dobbs), organized in 2000 and are represented by the joint Teamsters/HERE Employee Representatives Council under a Master National Agreement. Together LSG Sky Chefs and Gate Gourmet account for approximately 75% of the U.S. in-flight industry.

In 2001, workers employed by the newly formed independent in-flight security company Gate Safe decided to join HERE, adding many new members to the Union’s airport ranks. Employees of Flying Food Group (the third largest U.S. in-flight company) also elected to join HERE in 2001 and are currently fighting to achieve a first contract with the company (see www.flyingfoodfailures.org for more information).

Concessions
UNITE HERE has a strong presence in the two largest companies in the food and beverage concessions industry, HMSHost and CA One Services. CA One Services, the second largest company, is a 100% Union company with all employees represented under a national contract. HERE also has a nationwide “right to organize” agreement (aka card check and neutrality agreement) with CA One covering all of the company’s airport operations. This agreement allows all CA One airport concession employees to choose whether to be represented by the Union in an atmosphere free of the threats, intimidation, and delays that are commonplace in traditional NLRB Union elections.

The Future – Challenges and Opportunities

Even prior to the devastating events of September 11, 2001, a gradual reduction in on-board food and beverage service by airlines and dramatic consolidation and restructuring in the terminal concessions industry had already begun to present significant challenges for airport in-flight and concession workers -- Union and non-Union alike. Post September 11, the future holds even greater challenges.

In response, UNITE HERE is actively working to preserve existing Union jobs, exploring possible opportunities for new member organizing created by the rapidly changing landscape, and supporting airport workers in both the in-flight and terminal concessions industries who are organizing so they can improve their living standards and win a voice on the job.