Newark Airport Workers Join Nationwide Strike: PHOTOS

Newark, NJ – Several workers in Newark joined their counterparts during a 24-hour strike that took place at eight major airports across the nation on Wednesday evening.

The protest, originally planned for March 22, was cancelled following terror attacks in Brussels, Belgium.

• See related article: Union Cancels U.S. Airport Strikes After Brussels Attacks

Labor activity took place at airports including Newark Liberty, JFK, LaGuardia, as well as Seattle, Chicago, Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Fort Lauderdale, and Washington, D.C., union organizers stated.

According to 32BJ (SEIU), which represents some workers at Newark Airport, employees are attempting to draw attention to alleged “health and safety violations, unfair labor practices and inadequate training.”

• See related article: Airport Worker Strike Planned Wednesday

At Newark Airport, several employees of PrimeFlight – which contracts with United Airlines and has about 636 workers in the city – are alleging that they face serious health and safety issues, including “exposure to blood borne pathogens” and a “failure to provide lift trucks with protections to keep workers from falling 20 feet to the concrete below,” according to 32BJ organizers.

"I take pride in my job and I always put safety first," said Shane Charles, a PrimeFlight cabin cleaner at Newark Airport. "But unsafe working conditions make it difficult to do this job and they put me and my co-workers at risk."

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Photos courtesy of 32BJ (SEIU)