When Alaska Airlines switches contractors at Portland International Airport next month, 140 contracted wheelchair agents and a dozen other workers won’t miss a paycheck — thanks to their union.
Alaska will contract with Menzies Aviation when Bags Inc.’s contract to provide wheelchair attendants expires Nov. 17. But a master contract between Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 49 and four PDX airline service contractors ensures that incumbent workers be offered jobs any time one signatory contractor wins a contract from another.
Bags and Menzies are both union-signatory contractors. Menzies mostly works in ground, air cargo, and fuel services, but in August it purchased G2 Secure Staff, which already provides passenger assistance and cabin cleaning services at PDX.
“It’ll sort of be a change in uniform, but all of their wages, benefits, and all the things that are outlined in the contract, will just migrate over with employees,” said SEIU Local 49 executive director Maggie Long.
Even if Alaska had picked a contractor that doesn’t have an agreement with Local 49, most of the jobs would have been protected. A Port of Portland policy approved in 2015 requires any new airport service contractor to hire at least 80% of its workers from the contractor it’s replacing. SEIU and UNITE HERE campaigned for that policy for more than a year.
This wheelchair user cheers this victory.