Airport baggage handlers plan strike tomorrow

 Some baggage handlers at the Philadelphia International Airport plan to go on strike Thursday morning to protest poor wages and working conditions, a labor leader announced Wednesday.

Between 50 and 125 workers, all employed by the contractor PrimeFlight, are expected to walk off the job, according to Gabe Morgan, the state director of union 32BJ SEIU.

It is not immediately clear how many flights would be affected by a walkout by PrimeFlight workers.

"Workers have, really for the past year and a half, have been saying over and over and over again stop treating us this way, we shouldn't be living in poverty doing these jobs," Morgan said.

He made the announcement during a City Council hearing on legislation aimed at curbing labor unrest at the airport, where workers have long protested poor wages and conditions.

Julie Blust, also of the union, said many of PrimeFlight's baggage handlers, who are not unionized, make as little as $7.25 per hour. She was unsure if all of the airport's baggage handlers are employed by PrimeFlight or if some work through other contractors.

PrimeFlight, which is based in Nashville, could not be immediately reached for comment.

Mayor Nutter's spokesman, Mark McDonald, deferred questions to the airport, where Mary Flannery, the manager of public affairs, said she was not able to immediately comment. She did note that those planning to strike are not airport employees.

Mayor Nutter in May signed an executive order that raised the minimum wage for employees hired by airport subcontractors to $10.88 an hour.

Six months later, though, many employees have not seen their pay increase. Nutter's order applies to any bids or proposals issued after May 20, and city officials say they can't force current contractors and subcontractors to pay the minimum wage standard until they sign new contracts.

Morgan said the main goal of tomorrow's strike is not to "immediately shut down the airport."

"This is much more the workers trying to send a message: We've been complaining. We've been trying to talk," he said. "And instead what's happening is we're being threatened and intimidated."

Source: Philly.com