Aug. 21, 2008 - Today the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO approved a strike sanction request by airline service workers represented by Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1877.  The 2,500 subcontracted service workers who service all major airlines at LAX, including United, American and Southwest, will now have the full support of the Los Angeles labor movement if or when they decide to go on strike.

Inadequate training, lack of proper equipment, poverty-level wages and lack of access to quality family health care are causing record turnover rates among workers and causing a dramatic decline in service and safety standards.  In fact, the majority of the airline service workers make $10.50 per hour, not nearly the $24.54 per hour needed to support a modest standard of living in Los Angeles for a family of four, according to the California Budget Project.

"Airline giants such as American, United and Southwest need to show leadership to improve passenger service and safety," said Maria Elena Durazo, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO.  "They should support higher standards and better working conditions for those who provide the service and security in airports."

In granting a strike sanction, the Federation will support these strikers in various forms including picket line support, rallies, demonstrations, boycotts, financial assistance to pay for household expenses, and in coordinating food drives, political, union, and community support.

Improvements to training, proper equipment, a livable wage and family health care coverage could be implemented for a cost barely noticeable to passengers.  Less than 25 cents per ticket would improve passenger service and airline security.  Despite raising ticket prices by an average of $200 and instituting a range of new fees, airlines have been unwilling to make this minor investment in the workers who directly impact overall travel experience of their passengers.

"The airlines can do a lot better to improve services to their airline passengers and airport security, while at the same time make these good jobs for our families and our communities," said Fanny Fuentes, who provides wheelchair assistance to passengers with disabilities and seniors at Northwest Airlines.  Fuentes, like most airport service workes, earn only $10 an hour and does not have adequate individual or family healthcare.

Airport service workers are currently in negotiations with subcontractors including ABM, Aero Port Services, Air Serv, Aviation Safeguards, G2 Secure Staff, Lee's Maintenance, One Source, Primeflight, Service Performance Company, and World Service West.  These subcontractors service American, United, Southwest and other airlines and perform the majority of the security, janitorial and passenger service work at LAX, SFO, San Jose and Oakland airports.


The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO is the chartered Central Labor Council (CLC) of the AFL-CIO in Los Angeles County and is the second largest in the country, representing over 800,000 workers through over 350 unions.  Its mission is to promote a voice for workers so they can remain in the middle class, move themselves out of poverty by joining a union, encourage active participation in the political process, by electing pro-union and pro-worker officials and to advance public policies that support workers and their families.  As the coordinating center for labor's political activity, the Federation believes that in educating and mobilizing workers to be politically active they can create and sustain healthy communities, and FIGHT FOR GOOD JOBS that REBUILD THE LOS ANGELES MIDDLE CLASS.  Visit the Federation at www.launionaflcio.org.