Airline Workers In Newark Hold Strike Vote Before Thanksgiving

NEWARK, NJ — United Airlines catering workers at Newark Airport have sided with thousands of fellow union members in a “strike when lawful” vote, just before a Thanksgiving holiday predicted to be one of the busiest in recent history.

Members of United Catering Operations in Newark have been negotiating their first contract with the airline. They won recognition in October 2018, and are now represented by labor union Unite Here.

One of the big sticking points has revolved around raises for concessions and airline catering workers in Newark, some of whom reportedly make as little as $9.75 per hour.

Union representatives say it’s been over a year since they won recognition, but United Airlines hasn’t made a wage proposal yet.

“Last year, United Airlines delayed my union election for nine months,” said Jenkins Kolongbo, a coordinator at United Catering in Newark. “Now we are negotiating our first union contract, and United hasn’t even made a proposal on raises, which is one of the issues that is most important to me and my co-workers.”

“We can see through United’s tactics, and this vote shows that we won’t just sit back and wait,” Kolongbo charged. “We deserve equality, safety and respect right now.”

• See related article: ‘We're Treated Like 2nd Class Citizens,’ Newark Airport Workers Say

A United Airlines spokesperson told Patch that negotiations began in March, and the company has been “meeting regularly” with Unite Here, including a sit-down earlier this month.

“Unite Here has requested mediation with the National Mediation Board (NMB) and we will follow the board’s direction on next steps,” the spokesperson said Thursday.

Union members have been unhappy with the lack of progress, however. Last week, about 2,500 workers gathered in Newark, Houston, Denver and Honolulu, turning in a 99.9 percent “strike when lawful” vote if released by the NMB.

According to a Unite Here spokesperson, the catering workers are covered under the Railway Labor Act, which means that there’s a completely different process for striking.

“The NMB would have to approve the strike in order for it to move forward,” the spokesperson told Patch. “This is one step towards striking.”

In the meanwhile, workers plan to hold protests and picket lines, including a national campaign at airports across the nation during the week of Thanksgiving, Unite Here stated.

Officials at the Port Authority of NY/NJ – which oversees Newark Airport – recently said they anticipate there will be a “record” of six million Thanksgiving travelers that use its airports, tunnels, bridges and PATH system during the five-day holiday period from Nov. 27 to Dec. 1.

About 585,100 travelers are expected to pass through Newark Airport during that period, the Port Authority stated.

• See related article: Airline Catering Workers Demand Better Wages At Newark, JFK, LGA

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