Nearly 70 Los Angeles International Airport concession workers who say their pay isn’t keeping pace with inflation have voted to strike and may announce a walkout any day, union officials said.
The employees, who work in American Airlines’ three Admirals Club lounges, voted Monday with 98% in favor of a strike. They are employed by HMSHost and represented by Unite Here Local 11.
The LAX concession employees plan to gather on the upper departure level of Terminal 4 early Wednesday, Dec. 22 for an all-day picket, supported by hundreds of other food workers who are employed by a half-dozen other airport concessions companies at LAX.
The concession workers have accused HMS of dragging out their labor dispute, causing many long-term workers to go without a raise for more than three years, except for pay increases required by the airport’s minimum-wage law.
“They’re offering us 75 cents, but we’re asking for more,” said HMS employee Hugo Sanchez. “The company doesn’t want to offer us more money, but everything is really expensive right now, like food, rent, gas and insurance … the last raise I got was almost four years ago.”
Sanchez currently earns $19.75 an hour.
In a statement released Tuesday, HMSHost said it already pays 100% of employee healthcare and is offering to increase wages and benefits to at least $24.94 an hour in 2021 and $25.44 in 2022.
“HMSHost is also offering to make the 2021 wage increase retroactive to October 2018, providing lump-sum payments to its valued...
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