SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – Approximately 1,000 fast-food workers at San Francisco International Airport are striking for higher wages, officials announced on Monday morning.
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The open-ended strike includes cashiers, baristas, cooks, dishwashers, bartenders, servers, and lounge attendants from 30 different employers at 84 restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and lounges throughout the airport, according to a release by United Here Local 2, the food workers' union.
The employees are demanding an increase from their current pay of $17.05 per hour.
"Nobody can pay their bills or feed their kids on $17 an hour," Anand Singh, president of the union, said. "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. The hamburger or burrito an airport worker serves often costs more than what she makes in an entire hour. 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."
Union officials recommended that travelers bring their own food, as the strike encompasses virtually every food and beverage outlet at the airport. Some packaged foods will remain available at retail shops.
"I have to work two jobs to support my family and meet our needs, and it means I barely get to see my kids and grandkids," Vivian Narvarte, who works at both Pie Five Pizza and Ladle & Leaf Restaurant at SFO, said in the release. "My pay for a whole hour of work is less than the price of just one meal. That is so unfair. I'm on strike because I want to quit my second job and have more time with my family."
The union said 99.7% of workers voted to authorize the work stoppage.
In a statement, SFO said that a "labor action by airport food workers is impacting staffing restaurants and lounges. Some food and beverage outlets are closed, while others remain open with limited hours and offerings. Staffing at newsstands is not currently affected, and these outlets will continue to offer grab-and-go food and beverages. Full-service meal availability may be limited. SFO apologizes for any inconvenience this causes."
The airport did not provide further comment.
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