O’Hare airport workers to announce strike date Monday

Workers at O’Hare International Airport, advocating for higher wages, say they will strike after the busy Thanksgiving holiday travel period. The strike is set for Tuesday, Nov. 29, SEIU Local 1 announced on Monday morning.

About 500 airport workers who voted to strike last week will announce on Monday when they plan to take action.

“Despite helping to generate $8 billion in profits for the airline industry, most O’Hare Airport workers are forced to survive on minimum wage or less”, the group said in a statement.

The union is speaking up for hundreds of sub contracted workers employed mostly as aircraft cabin cleaners and janitors.

Tom Balanoff, president of the local chapter of the union, said that a walk-out could slow down operations, but wouldn’t shut them down. A survey of non-unionized workers at the nation’s busiest 30 airports found that a majority make less than $12 an hour and have annual household incomes of less than $25,000, SEIU says. O’Hare officials said the strike should not disrupt passengers getting to their flights.

Numerous workers hold positions with United Airlines and American Airlines that are subcontracted through Prospect Airport Services, AirScrub Inc. and Air Serv, according to SEIU spokeswoman Izabela Miltko-Ivkovich.

Workers at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) are planning on going on strike after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

The Nov. 29 protests will begin at 6 a.m.at McDonald’s restaurants, and the airport protests will begin at noon.

The O’Hare workers will join a national “Fight For $15” protest on November 29.

Both airlines said they are taking the necessary steps to avoid inconveniencing fliers.

The protests are taking place on the fourth anniversary of the Fight for $15’s first major protests at McDonald’s restaurants in NY, avoiding the busiest Thanksgiving travel days.