Baggage Handlers and Airplane Cleaners Strike at Logan Airport
Workers protesting at Logan Airport in June. Photo via SEIU 32BJ
The people who clean the airplanes you fly and pick up the bags you carry at Logan Airport are holding a one day strike on Wednesday to protest their employer’s opposition to their unionization effort.
Roughly 100 airport workers under contract with G2 Secure Staff and ReadyJet are set to go on strike in the early morning at Logan before moving to South Station for a rally. The airlines likely to be affected by the strike are Delta and American.
In a release from SEIU Local BJ32, the contract workers said that their strike is a follow up to a similar action in June where 100 employees with ReadyJet and G2 Secure Staff walked off the job to protest what they considered to be unfair labor practices.
The workers under contract do everything from transport luggage to clean airplane lavatories and cockpits to assist handicap passengers. They generally make no more than $10 an hour with little or no fringe benefits.
ReadyJet and G2 Secure Staff have paid several fines to OSHA and the Commonwealth in recent years for safety and workplace violations. In July 2014, ReadyJet was fined $5,000 by the Attorney General’s office for failing to properly pay overtime to its contract workers. The AG’s office found the company did not give employees breaks during 10-hour shifts and ultimately forced ReadyJet to pay $13,045 in backpay for unpaid straight time and overtime.
The common business practice of large airlines contracting out various tasks to smaller companies in order to cut costs has made outfits like ReadyJet and G2 Secure Staff a target of unions in recent years.
PHOTO: Non-union Airport workers are on strike this morning at #Boston Logan airport. pic.twitter.com/F6N9LnQHAE
— Scott Eisen (@scotteisenphoto) August 19, 2015
About 100 workers expected to strike today at Logan protesting one of the contractors here.#logan pic.twitter.com/EQV29W5Ijk
— Karen Twomey (@KarenWBZradio) August 19, 2015
Let’s #NationalAviationDay by supporting the rights of airport workers across the country @GoodAirports #LoganStrike pic.twitter.com/XDul5HRSut
— 32BJ SEIU (@32BJ_SEIU) August 19, 2015
#SpreadYourWings & support Logan airport works on #strike this #NationalAviationDay #povertydoesntfly @32BJ_SEIU pic.twitter.com/nBfdgVZu2V
— devon (@devonweber) August 19, 2015
