Newark, NYC Airport Workers Win 1st Union Contract, Take Step To $15

NEWARK, NJ — After four years of organizing and seven months of negotiations, about 8,000 airport workers in New Jersey and New York have won their first union contract.

On Thursday, representatives with labor union SEIU 32BJ announced that they expect the work agreement– which covers more than half of the subcontracted airport employees at JFK, LaGuardia and Newark airports – will be ratified next week.

While their first contract will not mean immediate salary increases, union leaders said that the tentative agreement “provides important workplace rights and protections,” including seniority rules, scheduling protocols, disciplinary procedures and health and safety guidelines under 11 airline subcontractors who have given their employees union recognition.

Workers covered under the contract include baggage handlers, airport security officers, wheelchair attendants, skycaps, cabin cleaners and terminal cleaners, union representatives stated.

The workers began bargaining for their inaugural contract in May.

• See related article: NJ and NY Airport Workers Mark Milestone

Last month, dozens of workers converged for a day of action at Newark Airport, demanding that staff in New Jersey “aren’t treated as second class citizens” and are given a $15 minimum wage like their colleagues in New York.

Workers called for companies such as PrimeFlight Aviation Services, a Nashville-based company which contracts for United Airlines at Newark Airport, to recognize their union rights, raise wages and provide healthcare benefits.

• See related article: Newark Airport Contractor Settles Dispute With ‘Intimidated’ Workers: Union

“This is a historic moment for airport workers not only in New York and New Jersey, but for workers around the country,” said Hector Figueroa, president of 32BJ SEIU said Thursday. “It's been a long time since such a large group of workers have been able to successfully organize for union membership. This contract shows that despite a changing political landscape and ongoing struggle, workers will always find ways to come together to better their jobs and their lives.”

While airport workers at JFK and LaGuardia will benefit from a minimum wage hike to $12 an hour on Dec. 31 – and an eventual increase to $15 by Dec. 31 of 2018 – many of the subcontracted employees in Newark currently make $10.10 per hour.

It’s a wage that workers say makes it impossible to make ends meet.

One terminal cleaner at JFK Airport wrote about her employment situation on the U.S. Department of Labor blog:

“Airport jobs used to be good jobs. Twenty-five years ago, an airport worker could expect to work directly for the airlines, be paid a living wage, and have good health insurance and other benefits. Today it’s a different story. Now, the airlines use a subcontracting system to maximize their profits while driving the cost of labor down. The result? By the time I started working at the airport in 2012, the airlines were making record profits and most subcontracted workers were finding it difficult to survive.”

• See related article: Newark Mayor Pushes For $15 Hourly Wage At Newark Airport
• See related article: Newark Airport Workers Plan To Strike, Will Join Others Nationwide

File Photo: U.S. Department of Labor

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