Labor Contract to Raise Wages at LAX to $15 Per Hour

Los Angeles International Airport workers agreed to a three-year labor contract that will raise wages to $15 per hour, union officials said today.

The agreement ends a labor dispute that would have affected operations at LAX during the Fourth of July weekend, according to Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Garcetti was scheduled to discuss the agreement with union officials at a noon news conference. The mayor intervened in the negotiations to help the two sides arrive at the agreement, according to his office.

“I’m pleased to see airport workers and contractors coming together in a way that improves jobs and passenger services at LAX,” Garcetti stated. “This agreement matches my vision for an LAX that remains a competitive economic engine that gets passengers where they need to go efficiently and safely and improves the lives of workers who drive it forward,” he said.

The 2,500 workers covered by the contract include cabin cleaners, wheelchair attendants, baggage handlers and cargo workers employed by contractors to airlines at LAX, officials of the SEIU United Service Workers West said.

The companies include Gateway, G2, Airserv, ATS, and World Service West. They have contracts with American, Delta, United, Southwest, and several international airlines.

The agreement also includes measures to protect paid family healthcare benefits and “avoids cutbacks to sick days, vacation time and other benefits,” union spokesman Jacob Hay said.

The contract sets up a training fund to “provide emergency response training for LAX service workers, a key step towards promoting airport safety and security,” he said.