New York, NY. – Days after thousands of contracted airport workers at the seven busiest U.S. hubs went on strike to improve conditions at airports, even more airport workers will join a national fast for better airports. Airport workers in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Denver, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Boston, Newark, Fort Lauderdale, Washington, D.C., Cleveland and Columbus are participating in the fast.
New York #AirportsFast Kick Off:
Tuesday November 24, 4pm
JFK Airport Terminal 5 (by the parking lot)
New York #AirportsFast Large Press Conference:
Wednesday November 25, 12pm
LaGuardia Airport Central Terminal Parking Lot 1
Who: Fasting airport workers will be joined by clergy, community organizations and elected officials including Hakeem Jeffries, Congressman and member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Jerrold Nadler and Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez.
At a time when most Americans celebrate and are grateful for bounty, the men and women who keep our airports running will be fasting for $15 and union rights to draw attention to the fact that airport workers often go hungry because they are paid so little that they can’t make ends meet. The fasters will also shine the spotlight on the intimidation, harassment and retaliation tactics that airport workers encounter from their employers when workers attempt to form unions to improve their livelihoods.
LaGuardia and JFK airport workers are joining terminal cleaners, cabin cleaners, skycaps, wheelchair agents, customer service agents, terminal security officers, ramp workers, and baggage handlers from around the country for a 24-hour fast beginning on Tuesday, November 24 until Wednesday. Collectively these workers will care for the estimated 25 million passengers traveling this year for Thanksgiving
The fast comes days after thousands of contracted airport workers at the seven busiest U.S. hubs went on strike to improve conditions at airports. Elected officials and community and clergy leaders joined the picket lines and lent their support, outraged at the sweatshop-like conditions and poverty wages all too common at our nation’s airports.
Nationwide, 37 percent of cleaning and baggage workers at our airports live in or near the poverty level, according to a UC Berkeley Labor Center report detailing the stunning rise of poverty jobs in our airports.