Sea-Tac passenger service workers unite, approve contract

The following is from SEIU Local 6:

SEATAC (July 25, 2018) — Passenger service employees of G2 Secure Staff, ABM Aviation, and Huntleigh have voted to unite under one master contract at Sea-Tac International Airport. The group of 800-plus workers includes wheelchair agents, cabin cleaners, sky caps, baggage handlers, ramp agents, and others, unified as a single collective bargaining unit represented by SEIU6.

The new contract, which SEIU6 passenger service workers voted overwhelmingly to ratify on Tuesday, was negotiated by a bargaining team that included several members who also fought for SeaTac Proposition 1. Gains in the new contract include five extra days of paid time off, a requirement for employers to pay out sick leave for workers transferring to another SEIU6 union job, the creation of a labor management committee to resolve workplace disputes, a requirement for employers to provide protective equipment at no cost to employees, and new unpaid extended leave. The extended leave will allow workers to take off up to 90 days during the slow season and return to their jobs with seniority and pay rate intact.

“I knocked on about 100 doors fighting for Proposition 1, and what we thought was impossible we actually made possible,” said Bargaining Team Member Saba Belachew (pictured at left with Eleni Senebeto). “With this new contract, we keep uniting to make things better. We’ll get more job stability because it limits arbitrary write-ups. And in my opinion, the best part is the 90 days unpaid extended leave. It’s a win-win because the employers want to reduce hours in the slow season, and workers whose families live abroad will have enough time to make the trip.”

“The quality of life for airport workers will increase with this new collective bargaining agreement,” said SEIU6 Passenger Service Worker and Bargaining Team Member Juan Maldonado (pictured at right). “A lot of people come through Sea-Tac and don’t pay attention to the workers, but we’re coming together in our union trying to create a balance, and push for a better future.”

SEIU6 Property Services NW is part of the largest union in the country, Service Employees International Union, which represents over 2 million service workers in North America. SEIU6 represents more than 6,500 janitors, security officers, and allied industries workers in Washington state.