Workers at LAX to Rally Week of Thanksgiving; Expect Delays

Delays at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) during the week of Thanksgiving may be possible as approximately 100 SEIU-United Service Workers West (USWW) members who clean planes, handle baggage, maintain safety at the airport and assist wheelchair passengers will rally as they seek a higher living wage following a stalled vote at Los Angeles City Council.

These workers at LAX will rally, chant and march through the airport, starting at Terminal 3 Departure Levels on Monday, November 25. Similar actions in the past have resulted in passenger delays. The rally is set for 11 a.m. and will be followed by a food drive for LAX workers. (In a demonstration of solidarity led by the LA Federation of Labor, the local labor community has donated hundreds of Thanksgiving meals for LAX workers as airlines and contractors operating at LAX do not pay wages that allow workers to afford quality groceries or a holiday meal.)

USWW members and allies will call on members of the L.A. City Council to swiftly approve the modernization of the “Living Wage Ordinance” to increase wages for all LAX workers immediately to $25 an hour and $30 an hour by 2028, as well as improve access to affordable, quality healthcare. The ordinance was introduced nearly two years ago but was tabled by the L.A. City Council on November 20.

AAA projects 79.9 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from home over the Thanksgiving holiday travel period. This year’s projection of nearly 80 million travelers is an increase of 1.7 million people compared to last year and 2 million more than in 2019; however, AAA’s forecast, for the first time, includes the Tuesday before and the Monday after Thanksgiving Day “to better capture the flow of holiday travelers.” More than 5.8 million people are expected to travel by air.

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