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Roughly 1,000 fast food workers at San Francisco International Airport are striking, saying they are experiencing stagnant wages and chronic understaffing.
Workers say their hourly pay is less than the cost of a meal at the airport.
Both the union and the airport told travelers to pack their own food.
Passengers traveling through San Francisco International Airport should plan on bringing their own food, according to the airport.
Workers are striking at “virtually every food and beverage outlet within the airport,” Local Unite 2, the union representing the workers, said in a statement, closing all 84 restaurants until further notice. Cashiers, baristas, cooks, bartenders, servers, lounge attendants, and other workers are participating in the strike from all 84 food services in the airport, according to the union.
“Staffing at newsstands is not currently affected, and these outlets will continue to offer grab-and-go food and beverages. Full-service meal availability may be limited,” SFO Public Information Officer Doug Yakel said in a statement.
Workers are demanding a raise in their wages, which they say have not kept up with inflation. Most fast food workers at the airport make $17.05 an hour, which has remained flat for three years, the union said.
“Hourly pay is often less than the price of a single meal at SFO,” the union said, sharing videos on TikTok highlighting the disparity.
The SFO Airport Restaurant Employer Council, which manages the 84 restaurants for the airport, did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
As of September 26, no other airport worker unions have indicated plans for a strike, but there’s recent history of similar actions. In 2021, over 400 food service workers at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport went on strike over the Thanksgiving holiday to protest low wages and health insurance expenses.
Airport food and drinks have grown more expensive, which could lead to further disparity in menu prices compared to wages, as in the case of the San Francisco workers. In May, an audit by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey found some vendors were charging “indefensible” prices of up to $28 for a single beer at New York’s LaGuardia Airport.
The SFO strike is open-ended, meaning there is no planned end date.
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