Strike At Phoenix Airport Continues Into 2nd Week

PHOENIX, AZ — Sky Harbor Airport concession workers entered their second week of striking Monday morning, after filing charges of unfair labor practices last week with the National Labor Relations Board.

Workers have extended their permit to protest at the airport though Dec. 29, according to a news release from Unite Here Local 11, the union representing the workers.

The employer of the workers, HMS Host, said that more than 84 percent of workers showed up for their shifts during the first day of the strike and that its operations in the airport were running normally.

The workers are demanding new contracts with fair raises, affordable health insurance, company-paid retirement contributions and protections for workers' tips.

In the charges filed with the National Labor Relations Board, the workers allege that, "the company has interfered with workers’ federal labor rights by, among other conduct, questioning workers concerning whether they would be supporting the union and going on strike, limiting speech in the workplace, and surveilling workers’ protected activity."

In addition to its demands for better pay and benefits, Local 11 announced last week a request to the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to investigate HMS Host for "substantial disparities in hiring, promotion, and compensation along racial lines among HMS Host workers at Sky Harbor airport."

HMS Host employs the workers who staff coffee shops and restaurants in the airport like Starbucks and SanTan Brewery.

Workers with Local 11 said have been negotiating with HMS Host for improved pay and benefits since 2017, but HMS Host put the blame on the union for walking away from negotiations in 2018.
"HMSHost has proposed wages and benefits that are top tier in the market, and we encourage the union to accept our offer to increase wages and lower healthcare costs for HMSHost associates without further delay," an HMS Host spokesperson said via email last week.

HMS Host says it is offering 12 percent wage increases as well as better benefits, such as paying 90 percent of employee health care costs.