The union representing San Francisco International Airport service workers visited the city’s Board of Supervisors on Thursday afternoon to express their frustration about contract negotiations with sub-contracting companies and what they see as retaliation for organizing.
The board’s Government Audit and Oversight Committee, made up of Supervisors Stephen Sherrill and Bilal Mahmood, held a public session to hear from SEIU-USWW, the union that represents hundreds of SFO workers who handle baggage, wheelchair programs, and cleaning services.
Board President Rafael Mandelman, who made a request for the meeting after speaking with the union, expressed his frustration with the sub-contracting companies of G2/Menzies, PrimeFlight, Unifi, ABM, and Compass/FLIK. He said it was in the city’s interest to ensure there was minimal operations interruption between labor and management, as well as to ensure workers were fairly compensated.
“My particular interest in this fight goes back a few months ago, when a number of us heard about retaliatory abuse that was being directed by one of the subcontractors at workers who had been exercising their rights,” said Mandelman. “We cannot direct the outcome of those negotiations. We can ask reasonable and hard questions, however, and make clear that we expect good faith bargaining from everyone at the table so that these workers can get a fair contract without further delay.”
My particular interest in this fight goes back a few months ago, when a number of us heard about retaliatory abuse that was being directed by one of the subcontractors at workers who had been exercising their rights.
Rafael Mandelman, president of San Francisco Board of Supervisors
The meeting comes less than a week after the SEIU-USWW organized a May Day rally at the SFO’s International Terminal. Traffic was redirected from the departures drop-off area and 25 people were arrested, including Mandelman and fellow supervisor Connie Chan.
Dyanna Volek works as the SFO government affairs manager. Volek said the airport itself could not get involved because the facility authorizes lease and use agreements with airlines who in turn have independent agreements with sub-contractors that fulfill duties the carriers do not. These companies must adhere to city ordinances, but the airport is unable to mandate pay and compensation unless it is required by local laws.
“We are not a party to these negotiations and also must remain neutral, but we are also focused on maintaining labor harmony and operational continuity,” said Volek. “SFO does issue operating permits to the firms, and those permits contractually require compliance with city ordinances such as the MCO, the Minimum Compensation Ordinance.”
When members of the public had a chance to speak, Casey Coward, a researcher at SEIU-USWW, presented findings he believes show the need for an increase in pay for workers from their current rate at around $21 an hour.
Coward cited the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Living Wage calculator and said an adult with no children would need to earn $32.44 per hour to make a living wage. A household with two parents supporting two children would both need to earn $48.99 per hour to reasonably sustain themselves in the Bay Area.
“Rising costs have left these workers behind,” said Coward. “The wage policy on its own isn’t keeping up, and the contractors aren’t doing their part on economics beyond that.”
Several airport workers lined up to discuss their struggles to make ends meet and what they see as improper behavior by their employers when they began to organize.
SFO is an exceptionally beautiful airport with a reflection room, art installations, meditation room,” said Cam Roberts, an organizer with SEIU-USWW. “Unfortunately, SFO’s underbelly hides break rooms without water, contracted companies with vans with cockroaches, invisible workers who work without proper safety materials, people who work up to 16 hours a day because of low wages and have precarious housing or head into retirement after decades of work with little financial stability.”
None of the sub-contracting companies responded for comment when asked about the working conditions or worker concerns about pay.
Speakers from across different language backgrounds showed up to the supervisors’ meeting to tell their stories. David Trujillo worked for Unifi on a team that cleaned aircraft bathrooms. He said the company wrongfully retaliated against him when he began organizing with others for better pay.
Airport workers describe retaliation, low pay and growing workloads
“When several of my coworkers and I decided to lead a delegation to address poor working conditions, we were eventually suspended,” said Trujillo said in Spanish. “We eventually returned to work thanks to the union, but as soon as they found a convenient reason to get rid of me, they fired me.”
Carlos Zapata has been cleaning aircraft for three years. He said flights are becoming harder to service because of cuts to staffing and travel demand booming.
“In recent years, staffing has been reduced by nearly 30% yet the demands have not decreased,” said Zapata. “Today, we are expected to clean international aircraft carrying up to 420 passengers with only 30 minutes to prepare each cabin. That’s 17 seconds per seat.”
While more than a dozen workers spoke at the meeting, no contractor participated. Mandelman said one representative had showed up but quickly left.
United Airlines, one of the carriers that contracts out to these service companies, did not respond for comment.