United Airlines Food Workers to Protest at IAH for Higher Minimum Wage
United has received hundreds of millions in public subsidies from city
What: 50+ United Airlines food workers protest at Bush Intercontinental Airport with signs reading “United Doesn’t Care About Houston”
When: Thursday, April 19th, 11 am to 1 PM and 4 pm to 6 pm
Where: IAH Airport (Corner of John F. Kennedy Blvd and Greens Road)
Who: United Airlines catering workers and airport terminal concessions workers, flight attendants, elected officials, religious and community leaders
NOTE: United Airlines workers are available for interviews on their experiences working to prepare and deliver food for United, including poor working conditions and the impact that poverty wages has on their families and their communities.
Why: United has received hundreds of millions of dollars in public subsidies from the City of Houston in recent years. Yet, United doesn’t care about Houston residents who serve food for the carrier and its passengers every day.
United Airlines catering employees at IAH are stuck in poverty, earning as low as $9.99 to start and just over $11 per hour after nearly 30 years of service. The restaurant workers in United’s terminals face similar challenges.
Looking for change, over 2,000 United catering workers in Houston and four other cities filed for a union election in January. In the months since, United has run an aggressive and insulting anti-union campaign. United even sought to deny the workers’ right to vote for a union by claiming that the employees — 95% of whom are immigrants and people of color — didn’t know what they were signing.
The City is negotiating a new agreement with United for Terminal E and the International Terminal Project and could require the airline to pay a fair wage.