Following months of labor unrest, employees of Flying Food Group launched an unfair labor practice strike Monday, April 10, claiming they’re underpaid and are in danger of losing their health benefits.
The catering workers provide in-flight airline meals at Los Angeles International Airport and are represented by Unite Here Local 11. They also allege the company hasn’t taken action to protect female workers from sexual harassment and gender-based discrimination.
Cooks, porters and drivers walked out at 3 a.m. and began marching in front of the company’s facility, at 901 W. Hillcrest Blvd. in Inglewood.
Flying Food disputes the union’s claims, saying it has addressed the complaints and offered a competitive pay proposal.
Seeking higher wages
The employees’ primary aim is to secure a significant raise to keep pace with the soaring cost of living in Los Angeles. Many workers, most of whom are people of color, are supposed to earn $18.04 an hour. That’s the minimum wage (including health benefits) offered to Los Angeles World Airports contract workers under the city’s living wage ordinance.
Employees without health benefits should earn a base wage of $23.81 an hour per the ordinance, but Unite Here officials say they’re being underpaid.
Flying Food is supposed to contribute $5.77 an hour toward workers’ health care coverage but the company has opted to provide its own coverage with a company contribution of $4.50 an hour, the union said. That leaves an hourly gap of $1.27.
Flying Food worker Norma Reyes, who packs untensils, plates, glasses and other items needed for flights, has been with the company for 12 years and says she still earns $18.04 an hour.
“I’m outraged,” the 51-year-old Hawthorne resident said. “I only got a 32 cent raise during the five years before we became unionized in early 2016. We’re fighting for every cent the company is supposed to be paying us.”
Rafael Leon, a cook with Flying Foods, was among the…
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