South Bay : Food-Service Workers Protest Layoffs at LAX

About 300 food-service workers dressed as ghosts marched in Los Angeles International Airport in Westchester Thursday to protest the opening of airport restaurants that refuse to hire laid-off employees or maintain union wage and benefit standards.

The protesters dressed as ghosts to symbolize laid-off workers and marched through Terminal 7 and into the McDonald’s restaurant, lining up behind the counter to ask for job applications. Tom Walsh, trustee of Local No. 814 of the Hotel and Restaurant Employees Union, said the demonstrators filled out the applications, got back in line to hand them in and chanted: “We want jobs.”

The Thursday morning demonstration was repeated in the afternoon. Marchers included both laid-off workers and other union members.

“We told them that we wanted jobs that pay a living wage and benefits,” Walsh said. “We don’t want just any job, we want jobs with security.”

Three hundred workers were recently displaced when McDonald’s and other new concessionaires won food service contracts at the airport. Union employees are paid about $7.40 per hour and receive health insurance.

The new concession stands, which include a Wolfgang Puck franchise, have cut wages and benefits of the new work force. Spokesmen for the two restaurant chains could not be reached for comment.