Strike At Dulles Airport: Hundreds Miss Work But No Delays Noted

Around 200 Dulles International Airport workers continued to strike on Thursday during the busiest travel period of the year, but airport officials report that there haven't been any significant delays as a result. The strike began Wednesday morning as 200 baggage handlers and other workers walked off the job and picketed in front of the airport. They're demanding an increase in their wages to $15 per hour and the right to unionize, organizers say.

The striking workers are employed by Huntleigh USA Corporation. The Service Employees International Union tweeted Thursday morning that the workers were "going strong" in the second day of their strike. For travelers worried about their flights being delayed, Dulles Airport tweeted that everything was running smoothly Thursday.

"All operations continue to be normal at #FlyDulles with no significant delays to flights, concessions or passenger services," the airport tweeted at 9:16 a.m.

The strike had been announced Monday as part of an effort to put pressure on Huntleigh USA Corporation to raise wages and allow its employees to unionize. The workers — who include baggage handlers, customer service agents and wheelchair attendants, according to the report — are unhappy with being paid just $6.50 per hour and want a wage increase to $15 per hour. It is the third year in a row they have made these demands.

The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, which is also Virginia's minimum wage. Contracted workers at Reagan National and Dulles International Airports (including Huntleigh employees) who earn less than minimum wage plus tips pushed for passage earlier this year of a Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority policy that employees receive a living wage, the AviationPros website reported. That measure should see wheelchair agents, checkpoint agents, terminal cleaners, cabin cleaners, sky caps and baggage handlers earn $11.55 starting Jan. 1, 2018. That amount will rise to $12.15 in 2019 and $12.75 in 2020.

Thursday and Friday are the two busiest travel days of the year, and about 149,000 people in the D.C. are expected to fly during that time, according to AAA.

Read more: Worst Day For Holiday 2017 Driving And Gridlock In NoVa, DC

Huntleigh CFO Diane Shaw released a statement claiming employees should have the right not to unionize, and that they operate in accordance with guidelines set by the National Labor Relations Board.

Some local officials are calling on Huntleigh to acquiesce to workers' demands.

“As thousands of residents in the DMV head home for the holidays, we must not forget the airport workers who make the airport run and can barely support their families. Huntleigh should care about their employees who are fighting for a better life,” Virginia State Del. Boysko (D-86th) said in a prepared statement as reported by the Loudoun Times.

"A lot of them have to work two and three jobs in order to be able to sustain their families, so a lot of these workers end up having to sleep here at the airport, upright in chairs, because they don’t have time to go see their family between shift change,” added 32BJ SEIU Vice President Jaime Contreras according to the report.

RIGHT NOW: 200 workers at @Dulles_Airport on strike for the next two days. They say they’re fighting for better wages and better treatment from their employer, Huntleigh USA Corp. pic.twitter.com/pwPxQBDInm
— Ryan Hughes (@ABC7Hughes) December 20, 2017

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