Atlanta Airport Workers Rally for Higher Wages

May 2—ATLANTA — Airport service workers in Atlanta are rallying to demand living wages for the workers who help keep Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport safe, clean and running. Airport service workers called directly on the city of Atlanta and Delta Air Lines, which effectively sets wage and benefit standards for the service workers who power the nation's busiest airport.

Joined by SRJB Regional Director Chris Baumann, union and not-yet-union airport service workers held signs that read "Atlanta Airport Pays Poverty Wages!" and chanted "Do better Delta" as they raised their demands to be respected, protected and paid living wages.

"It doesn't make sense to me when I see what we all go through while airlines are enjoying record profits; they can do better," Rio Bryant, zone lead in the wheelchair department at Hartsfield-Jackson, said. "With each day it becomes more clear why we need Congress to take action now to pass the Good Jobs for Good Airports Act and set wage and benefit standards at major airports nationwide. If we were paid livable wages, I think our customers would feel appreciated and workers would be valued. That's a win-win for every person who travels or works in an airport."

Hartsfield-Jackson is the second-largest employer in the South and is a major travel hub for Delta, yet local airport service workers are constantly left to contend with high staff turnover. Last year, Delta effectively raised service workers' wages to just $12 and hour while raking in $50.6 billion. Now, Atlanta's airport service workers are rising up to demand Delta take action to stabilize the majority black, brown and immigrant airport service work force by ensuring that wages are raised to at least $15 an hour.

The May Day rally builds off the recent momentum of workers nationwide who are joining together to demand unions for all, as well as a federal wage and benefits floor to empower all airport service workers, regardless of race, background or zip code. In March, Atlanta airport service workers took those demands to the national stage, joining other workers and lawmakers on Capitol Hill to reintroduce the Good Jobs for Good Airports Act.

The legislation would help stabilize the air travel system by ensuring workers are paid living wages and provided critical benefits like affordable health care and paid time off.

From coast to coast, airport service workers are continuing to call on Congress to pass the Good Jobs for Good Airports standards as part of the FAA Reauthorization.

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