By Ella Ceron | Bloomberg
Fast-food workers at San Francisco International Airport are striking to demand pay raises after three years of stagnant wages.
The group of 1,000 workers, who are members of the Unite Here Local 2 union, began their strike Monday. The walkout has no scheduled end date, the union said in a press release, and includes workers from 30 employers and 84 locations at the airport. They urged travelers to bring their own food during the strike so as to avoid crossing the picket line.
“Working at SFO used to mean you had a good job, but most of the airport’s fast-food workers haven’t seen a raise in three years,” said Anand Singh, the union’s president. “Nine months of negotiations got us nowhere, and SFO’s food service workers are tired of working two or even three jobs just to survive.”
Unite Here Local 2 represents 15,000 food workers at SFO, Oakland International Airport and other venues in the area. A representative for SFO did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In addition to the strike, the union has posted several TikTok videos in which workers compare their pay — which is typically around $17.05 per hour — to the prices of food at their establishments. In one clip, a worker named Anthony says “we sell $21 margaritas and we’re getting paid $16 an hour.” In another, a woman named Vivian Narvarte, who works at Pie Five Pizza and Ladle & Leaf Restaurant, said her hourly pay doesn’t cover the cost of a pizza and drink meal, which retails for over $21.
@uniteherelocal2
One personal pizza + drink: $21.46. My wage: $17.65. That’s why fast food workers at SFO airport are ready to STRIKE! #strike #airportstrikealert #union #sfo #airport #organize #fyp #newstok
♬ original sound – UniteHereLocal2
Working two jobs “means I barely get to see my kids and grandkids,” said Navarte in a statement provided by Unite Here Local 2. “I’m on strike because I want to quit my second job and have more time with my family.”
Airport employees across the country have been bargaining for better pay and working conditions in recent years.
The average worker pay is $2 above the California minimum wage, but the union says that hasn’t kept up with the soaring cost-of-living in the Bay Area. The average monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment in San Francisco is $4,814, according to Rent.com. That’s a 12% year-over-year increase. Nine out of 10 apartments in San Francisco cost more than $2,100 per month.
The strike follows a rally earlier this month in which 41 people were arrested. In a video, workers can be seen blocking one of the throughways at SFO, which operated an average of 1,300 flights per day in 2019. Those arrested included San Jose Assemblymember Ash Kalra, State Senator Josh Becker, and Honey Mahogany, who is currently running for supervisor in San Francisco’s sixth district.
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