Airport ‘Job Outsourcing’ Bill Would Protect Workers: Senators

Do you know anyone that’s lost their job to outsourcing? Then you should have a soft spot for a proposed federal law that would help protect workers by hitting airlines where it hurts the most: their wallets.

Airlines used to provide well-paying jobs, according to U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH). But these jobs, including wheelchair attendants, baggage handlers, and caterers, are now often “contracted out” to the lowest bidder.

To help remedy this trend, Booker and Brown introduced a bill on Thursday that would prohibit federal employees from flying on airlines that have committed “egregious” labor law violations or failed to rectify serious infractions.

But here’s the kicker: the ban would also extend to airlines that use contractors who have a history of labor law violations, giving industry giants such as United and Delta a financial incentive to keep tabs on the companies they hire for subcontracting work.

“This shift towards outsourcing has a direct impact on wages, with a recent study finding that 37 percent of all airport workers make less than $15 an hour,” Booker and Brown said in a joint statement.

In addition, as the cost of living has skyrocketed, average weekly wages among the same group have fallen by 14 percent from 1991 to 2011, Booker and Brown said.

That’s not all, the senators charge. They say that outsourcing also allows airlines and other major corporations to shield themselves from responsibility for rampant violations of federal labor law incurred by their contractors.

It isn’t just airline workers who have lamented the increasing trend towards outsourcing. The outsourcing of call center jobs was a major complaint during the 2016 Verizon worker strike, one of the largest work stoppages in modern American history.

• See related article: Verizon Strike Of 2016 Ends (See Our Complete History Here)

While the proposed bill, dubbed the “Airline Accountability Act,” isn’t a fix-all solution, it’s an important first step, Booker said.

“At a time when the average salary for airline CEOs is in the millions, it’s unconscionable that so many airport workers live in poverty,” Booker said. “Forget about rising from the mailroom to the boardroom – subcontracted workers are stuck.”

• See related article: United Airlines Announces Record Profit, Workers Protest Low Wages

FIGHT FOR $15 AT NEWARK AIRPORT

Booker, the junior senator from New Jersey and former mayor of Newark, has previously advocated for pay parity and job protection for workers at Newark, JFK and LaGuardia Airports.

At Newark Airport, the dominant airline, United, contracts with PrimeFlight, a Nashville-based company that recently settled with several of its employees who allegedly faced intimidation and lost wages after they exercised their right to speak out and strike.

• See related article: Newark Airport Contractor Settles Dispute With 'Intimidated' Workers

Workers at Newark Airport have been vocal about their desire for a $15 minimum wage and other job protections over the past few years, holding high-profile strikes and nailing down their first union contract in December 2016.

Some of PrimeFlight’s workers at Newark Airport – including cabin cleaners – make as little as $12 per hour, according to their union, 32BJ (SEIU).

• See related article: Newark, NYC Airport Workers Win 1st Union Contract, Take Step To $15
• See related article: Fight For Living Wage Continues At Newark Airport

A New Jersey bill that would have raised wages and protected benefits for workers at Newark Liberty International Airport, Newark Penn Station and Hoboken Terminal made it through the state legislature before Governor Chris Christie vetoed it in July.

• See related article: Christie Vetoes Pay Raise For Newark Airport Workers

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Main Photo: Newark Airport workers rally in 2016 (via 32BJ, SEIU)