Airline Workers Plan To Rally In Newark To Protest Staffing Switch

NEWARK, NJ — Workers are planning to rally at Newark Airport on Thursday to protest an upcoming staffing change by United Airlines, which will impact 600 contracted cabin cleaners and lift truck drivers, their union says.

Starting in October, United Airlines will be using United Ground Express for aircraft cleaning at Newark Liberty International Airport, a company spokesperson confirmed Wednesday.

The upcoming switch has seen criticism from national labor union 32BJ SEIU, which said the move will replace the current contractor, Prospect Cleaning Services, with United’s wholly owned subsidiary contractor.

According to a statement from the union, the move will:

• “Convert 80% of 600 full-time positions to part-time, potentially forcing long-time workers to quit en masse”
• “End workers’ employer-paid health care, including zero employee premium cost sharing for workers”
• “Cut a critical union-provided immigration legal benefit, secured through the workers’ union contract with 32BJ SEIU, which has provided free immigration legal services, citizenship support and deportation defense”

“This is chaos,” said Ana Maria Hill, executive vice president and New Jersey state director at 32BJ SEIU.

“United Airlines is gutting standards we’ve spent over a decade building—standards that ensure stable, high-quality jobs and a healthy, functioning airport,” Hill charged.

“United can still do the right thing: reverse course, protect these essential jobs and recommit to the wages, benefits and legal protections that keep workers—and the airport—strong,” Hill said.

A United Airlines spokesperson provided Patch with the following statement when reached for comment about the union’s allegations:

“United Ground Express (UGE) has already made conditional job offers to all Prospect employees to fill full-time and part-time roles paying more than $25 per hour and represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. UGE is working closely with Prospect on this transition and they have been communicating to Prospect employees to make sure they understand their options.”

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