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• THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 28TH HISTORIC CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE 9/28/2006
  WHAT: Thousands will march and 400 immigrants, workers, religious leaders, community members and students will shut down Century Blvd. ...

• New Labor Group Beginning Drive for Higher Pay 4/22/2006. New York Times
  In their first major initiative since quitting the A.F.L.-C.I.O., the breakaway unions are beginning a drive to increase the wages of, and perhaps unionize, 50 million service workers.

  The effort will focus on workers whose jobs cannot be shipped overseas — hotel maids, nursing-home aides, school bus drivers, truck drivers at seaports and others — with the goal of assuring them affordable health insurance, retirement security and higher wages.

• Foodservice Workers to Picket O'Hare Airport 10/17/2005. Restaurant News Source
  At 4 a.m. every day, Ambar Vera starts her shift pouring coffee at the Starbucks in Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. After a year and half on the job, Ambar makes $6.55 an hour, and pays $140 per month for her health insurance.

About the Industry

An important part of UNITE HERE
Airport workers, employed in the in-flight catering and terminal concession industries, are the third largest group of workers represented by UNITE HERE behind those employed in hotels and gaming. In total, the Union represents between 33,000 and 34,000 workers in the airport sector. Of these, approximately 20,500 work in in-flight catering, 11,300 in food and beverage and retail concessions, and approximately 1,600 in hotels located on airport property and in other airport classifications such as skycaps.

A Strong Union Presence in Top Industry Companies

In-flight
Approximately 80% of the U.S. in-flight industry is unionized. UNITE HERE represents 100% of market leader LSG Sky Chefs’ workers under a Master National Agreement. Workers employed by the industry’s second largest company, Gate Gourmet (formerly Dobbs), organized in 2000 and are represented by the joint Teamsters/HERE Employee Representatives Council under a Master National Agreement. Together LSG Sky Chefs and Gate Gourmet account for approximately 75% of the U.S. in-flight industry.

In 2001, workers employed by the newly formed independent in-flight security company Gate Safe decided to join HERE, adding many new members to the Union’s airport ranks. Employees of Flying Food Group (the third largest U.S. in-flight company) also elected to join HERE in 2001 and are currently fighting to achieve a first contract with the company (see www.flyingfoodfailures.org for more information).

Concessions
UNITE HERE has a strong presence in the two largest companies in the food and beverage concessions industry, HMSHost and CA One Services. CA One Services, the second largest company, is a 100% Union company with all employees represented under a national contract. HERE also has a nationwide “right to organize” agreement (aka card check and neutrality agreement) with CA One covering all of the company’s airport operations. This agreement allows all CA One airport concession employees to choose whether to be represented by the Union in an atmosphere free of the threats, intimidation, and delays that are commonplace in traditional NLRB Union elections.

The Future – Challenges and Opportunities

Even prior to the devastating events of September 11, 2001, a gradual reduction in on-board food and beverage service by airlines and dramatic consolidation and restructuring in the terminal concessions industry had already begun to present significant challenges for airport in-flight and concession workers -- Union and non-Union alike. Post September 11, the future holds even greater challenges.

In response, UNITE HERE is actively working to preserve existing Union jobs, exploring possible opportunities for new member organizing created by the rapidly changing landscape, and supporting airport workers in both the in-flight and terminal concessions industries who are organizing so they can improve their living standards and win a voice on the job.