SFO workers will express demands for better health care Wednesday

San Francisco, California – According to union leaders, hundreds of airport workers will protest at San Francisco International Airport on Wednesday to express demands for affordable health care benefits.

About 200 workers, some non-union and some members of the Unite Here Local 2 union, who work as cashiers and food service employees in airport terminals, as well as those who prepare food and drinks served on planes, will participate in the protest, which will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the airport’s Terminal 3 on one of the busiest travel days of the year.

According to a news release from Unite Here, workers were denied affordable family health care in the face of an elevated risk of Covid-19 due to exposure to holiday travelers, and the union kept workers on part-time status so they couldn’t qualify for health care coverage.

“Airport employers are cheating their employees out of health care that workers need more than ever,” said Anand Singh, president of Unite Here Local 2.

“These greedy companies will stop at nothing just to pad their profits — even union-busting to avoid giving workers family health care. With COVID on the upswing, airport workers are going to fight back to get the health care they deserve,” Singh added.

According to SFO spokesperson Doug Yakel, the airport has given the union permission for free speech activities to ensure that travelers may move freely around the airport.