UPDATE: This story was updated Monday, Dec. 22, to include LSG Sky Chefs response.
Dozens of workers who prepare in−flight food and beverages for mahor airline companies staged a protest Friday at Miami International Airport, calling on LSG Sky Chefs and American Airlines to address what they describe as "unlivable wages" and "inhumane working conditions" within the airline catering industry.
The workers, employed by LSG Sky Chefs and represented by UNITE HERE Local 355, are responsible for the food and beverage services on major carriers including American, Delta, and United.
Similar protests are scheduled in Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle.
Workers say they are struggling to survive on their current pay at a time when American Airlines recently reported a record of $13.7 billion in revenue in the third-quarter revenue. And they claim workers endure hazardous conditions.
LSG Sky Chefs is part of Germany−based LSG Group, a global company operating in 120 locations in 49 countries, with more than 18,000 employees. In 2023, the company reported more than €2.4 billion ($2.8 billion) in revenue.
In a statement sent via email to WLRN on Monday, LSG Sky Chefs company officials said they remain "engaged in active negotiations regarding our current labor agreement."
"We are scheduled to meet with UNITE HERE and our federal mediator in January to continue formal negotiations, and we are committed to bargaining in good faith toward an amicable resolution," the company said. "We recognize that employees are within their rights to advocate their positions in public, and do not anticipate any operational disruptions during these demonstrations."
"Finally, we understand that there are some who are trying to include our airline clients in the discussion, but the airlines aren't involved — either directly or indirectly — in these negotiations," the company said. "This is between Sky Chefs and UNITE HERE."
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Rafael Otero, a driver for Sky Chefs at Miami International, said he and and others "have safety concerns because the trucks are old and don’t function properly."
"I’ve worked on trucks that don’t have functioning lights, air conditioning, or windshield wipers for when it rains,” said Otero in a statement released by protest organizers. “In some trucks, when I make a turn all the doors will open.”
He said he broke his shoulder after a door jammed due to oxidation.
“They treat us like we’re disposable," he added. "I feel personally like it’s inhumane working conditions.”
Protest organizers said the catering staff has been trying to negotiate a new contract since 2018. Their demands for better pay and affordable healthcare have been bolstered, they said, by the success of workers at Gate Gourmet.
“The accountability for workers’ safety does not lie with Sky Chefs alone: American Airlines must take responsibility for what its contractors do,” said UNITE HERE President Gwen Mills in a statement.
“No worker should clock in wondering whether their health and safety may be at risk,” Mills said.
