Airport Workers Stage Walkout Ahead Of Planned Strike During DNC

[Purveyor]

Source: Metro.us

Low-wage workers employed by subcontractors at Philadelphia International Airport gave a taste of their plans to strike during the DNC next week.

PUBLISHED : Today 4:48 pm

A group of low-wage airport workers walked off the job at Philadelphia International Airport Tuesday in a brief preview of a strike planned for the Democratic National Convention.

Nearly 1,000 members of 32BJ SEIU rallied outside the airport in support of baggage handlers, cabin cleaners, line queues and wheelchair attendants employed by subcontractors at the airport in a protest for a $15 minimum wage and the right to unionize.

“Today was a look at what’s to come next week. We still plan on striking if we have to,” Alfred Williams, a baggage handler with subcontractor PrimeFlight, said in a statement. “We won’t back down even as our employers threaten, bribe and intimidate us.”

Many employees of subcontractors at the airport, primarily Prospect and Primeflight, have been fighting for higher wages and to get union representation by 32BJ SEIU. Members voted last week to strike for higher wages during the Democratic National Convention (DNC), running July 25-28.

Read more: http://www.metro.us/philadelphia/airport-workers-stage-brief-walkout-ahead-of-planned-strike-during-dnc/zsJpgs---FhyeumUrsM/

[uawchild]

1. Low-wage workers employed by subcontractors

Says exactly what's wrong in the US job market.

[glennward]

2. That's too bad. It ruins an opportunity for a smooth convention for the Dems. I hope the Dems have

prepared for this and to help delegates with other modes of transportation. As well, I hope the union prevails with most of their demands.

After what is proving to be a disastrous convention for the GOP two things loom to prevent the Dems from showing a drastic contrast to the GOP: The strike and the strife promised from the BS supporters.

[BumRushDaShow]

3. I remember watching the Phila City Council hearings

when many of them testified last year regarding the conditions that they were forced to work under. Their struggles have been going on a long time.

As a note, the city of Philadelphia owns the airport and I have always wondered if there could be clauses/stipulations put in regarding prime contractors (although in this case, some of these folks may actually be employed by the airlines' subcontractors).