Story at a glance

• The Good Jobs for Good Airports Act aims to raise wages for all airport workers to $15 an hour plus benefits.

• It would apply to cleaners, wheelchair agents, baggage handlers, security personnel and more.

• If enacted, the legislation would prevent airports from accessing federal funding unless they raise worker wages.

The U.S. is experiencing a chaotic summer travel season and lawmakers in Washington are hoping to ease the burden on airport workers by introducing legislation to boost their pay.

A group of Democratic lawmakers introduced the Good Jobs for Good Airports Act and it aims to force all airport hubs to raise worker wages or risk losing access to federal funds. It includes many frontline travel workers like cleaners, wheelchair agents, baggage handlers, security personnel and more.

The proposed legislation would enforce a minimum $15 hourly wage and benefits established by the Department of Labor.

The federal government supplies $11 billion in funding to airports every year along with $3.2 billion in grants through the Airport Improvement Program grants. Another $4 billion has been appropriated for U.S. airports under President Joe Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure law.

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