You may have seen a lot of headlines this week about a potential strike by union members from two airline catering companies. What is their beef? How would a strike impact you? Let’s explore the issues at stake.
Who is striking?
Workers from Gate Gourmet and Sky Chefs, the two largest catering companies, have authorized a strike over stagnant wages. No strike has been announced yet. Negotiations are ongoing. These workers supply food for American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines (among others).
Are there any other parties involved?
Unions are also trying to bring workers from Chelsea Food Services, United’s internal catering company. At some U.S. hubs, United’s catering is in-house.
What is the main issue of contention?
Most airline food workers earn less than $15/hour and some workers make as little as $8.46/hour. Unions argue this renders works unable to meet basic living expenses like healthcare for their families. Unions are seeking an unspecified “living wage” for all workers.
How many workers does this impact?
A strike could send 7,700 Sky Chefs, 3,270 Gate Gourmet, and 2,600 Chelsea Food Services employees to the picket lines.
What must happen before a strike occurs?
Unions would need permission from the National Mediation Board (NMB) before launching a strike. The NBB is an offspring of the Railway Labor Act , which is intended to minimize disruptions to interstate commerce by transportation sector strikes.
Is there hope for a deal?
Both sides are optimistic that a deal can be worked out in ongoing talks. Nevertheless, off-duty workers plan to picket in the weeks ahead.
What happens if the unions decide to strike?
Should the unions decide to strike without permission form the National Mediation Board (NMB), we could a see a situation similar to President Ronald Reagan’s firing of Air Traffic Controllers in 1981. Airlines are already lining up back-up workers and stocking up on supplies to minimize passenger disruption from a potential strike.
CONCLUSION
It is too premature to assume a strike will happen, especially as both sides continue to bargain. Should a strike occur, impact would likely be minimal, though you may find higher rates of miscatering than usual.
image: Gate Gourmet
Matthew, are any of those vendors under contract to provide airline lounge food or lounge operations?
What About Flying Food Group (I believe they cater Virgin at MCO and British Airways at LAX, among others) – are they involved in this?
…”Airlines are already lining up back-up workers and stocking up on supplies to minimize passenger disruption from a potential strike.”
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You took the job when you decided to work for Gate Gourmet or Sky Chefs or Chelsea Food – you’re on the payroll of these operators, not the airlines.
Gotta love it when people who have no skills “demand” wages that require no talent whatsoever (probably one day of training, if that). Don’t like the pay?,….go look for another job, get an education that will find you a better paying job or go get a second job. Go negotiate with the companies you work for to “fight” the airlines (who you don’t “work” for) to give for better pay. If the airlines wanted to pay $15/hour, they certainly wouldn’t have vendored these jobs out 15-20 years ago to an outside supplier.
You win the most entitled comment of the year award! Kudos!
They took the job at a certain wage. Since the wages have been stagnant, over time inflation has lowered their buying power. I’m not arguing they need enormous pay increase but certainly cost of living increases are due which is pretty standard.
Only on boardingarea could you find hypocrisy as delicious as a commenter accusing another commenter of being “entitled” then signing his/her flame as “747 Always.”
ha ha ha ha ha
If these workers are covered by the railway labor act then their is ZERO chance of their being allowed to strike.
First they have to get the NMB to declare and impass and that is very unlikely. Then even if they get to self help a Presidential Emergency Board could order them back to work.
Given the likely size of the disruption to the Air Transportation System if they all went out on strike I’d say their is simply no way it’s ever going to be allowed.
Lastly if they do go out on strike I strongly suspect that would be the end of them and their union. Just like what happened with the Northwest Mechanics.