Fast-food workers at San Francisco International Airport said early Monday they're on strike, forcing some airport restaurants and lounges to close, according to the workers' union and airport officials.
About 1,000 workers with Unite Here Local 2 have walked off the job, saying they haven't seen a raise in three years, and under their current wages, many are forced to work second jobs.
The strike includes cashiers, baristas, cooks, dishwashers, bartenders, servers and lounge attendants with 30 employers at 84 outlets at SFO, according to the union.
The airport said in a statement Monday morning "some restaurants and lounges are closed while others are open with limited hours and offerings." The union said travelers should plan to bring their own food because the strike affects "virtually every food and beverage outlet within the airport."
Workers have compared their wages to the price of menu items, saying their hourly wage often is less than the price of a meal at SFO. They have urged travelers to boycott the airport's food and beverage outlets.
"Nobody can pay their bills or feed their kids on $17 an hour," union president Anand Singh said in a statement. "Working at SFO used to mean you had a good job, but most of the airport’s fast-food workers haven’t seen a raise in three years. … Nine months of negotiations got us nowhere, and SFO’s food service workers are tired of working two or even three jobs just to survive."
Airport food service workers authorized the strike by a 99.7% vote in August, officials said. Marriott hotel workers with the same union won raises and better health care benefits after a two-month strike in 2018, the union said.
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The full statement released by SFO:
"The San Francisco International Airport (SFO) advises travelers that a labor action by airport food workers is impacting staffing restaurants and lounges. Some food and beverage outlets are closed, while others remain open with limited hours and offerings.
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"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 apologizes for any inconvenience this causes.
"SFO will provide updates on the status of airport restaurants at flySFO.com and social media channels."
