Oakland Airport Security Workers Make Unionization Progress

The largely Filipino American security workers at the Oakland airport have made progress in winning union rights. In Terminal 1 of the airport's two terminals being organized, workers recently won union recognition in a card check (card check is a process where an employer recognizes a union based upon a majority at a workers at a workplace sign authorization cards).

The workers, who number over a hundred and are largely immigrant, are trying to join Service Employees International Union. Many were airport screeners before 9/11, but were among the 40,000 workers fired and not re-hired, when the Federal government took over airport screening.
Numerous community and union groups have been supporting the workers the past few years in their struggles. They include organized the Pilipino Association of Workers and Immigrants, Filipinos for Affirmative Action, Service Employees Local 1877, and the Alameda County Central Labor Council. These groups and other supporters recently held a demonstration at the airport. The previous day, they had also received food in a food distribution event.

The workers are poorly paid and have inconsistent employment each week. A boarding pass checker said, “We are working one day, but don’t know about the next.” Workers accuse the security companies, Aviation Safeguards and DAL Globe, of discriminating against them, refusing to recognize their union rights, and not paying the wages and benefits mandated by Oakland's living wage law.