Nearly 700 catering workers at Los Angeles International Airport have voted to authorize a strike following weeks of failed negotiations over wage increases and more affordable health insurance.
The Flying Food Group employees are represented by Unite Here Local 11. In a vote taken late Wednesday, 98 percent of the unionized members voted to authorize the action. The workers staged a one-day strike in 2014 when they were rallying to unionize.
Unite Here spokeswoman Maria Hernandez said the employees haven’t indicated when a strike might occur. But things may be looking up.
“We’re doing everything possible to avoid a strike, and the company reached out to us late last night to set up negotiations for Monday,” she said. “At this moment, we don’t really know when a strike might happen. I might not be for months. We’re hoping we don’t have to do that.”
If a walk-out does take place, it would have a ripple effect. Flying Food workers prepare the food that’s provided to airline passengers of major carriers such as Delta, United and American Airlines. Planes flying to distant locales can’t take off until they’re serviced by the food workers, so a strike could cause travel delays in and out of the airport.
Hernandez said many of the workers earn $14 an hour.
“That’s not enough for them to cover basic expenses,” she said. “There’s no set figure yet on what they are asking for, but they want a better living wage. They’re also asking for more affordable health insurance.”
Representatives with Chicago-based Flying Food could not be reached for comment Thursday, Feb. 14.
Low-paid work
Catering workers are among the lowest paid in the heavily unionized airline industry.
Employees Norma Reyes and Juan Varela voted to strike because they can’t afford health coverage provided by the company.
“I voted to strike because I want affordable health insurance,” Varela said in a statement. “I currently pay $332 dollars a month for my health insurance through the company.”
A strike by Flying Food workers could set the stage for similar actions at other U.S. airports, as some 18,000 Unite Here catering employees will be negotiating their contracts this year.
The union’s influence extends beyond airport employees. In recent months, it has helped hundreds of Southern California hotel workers forge labor agreements with their respective management companies.