Some O'Hare Airport Workers On Strike Thursday
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Many non-union workers at O'Hare International Airport rallied at the airport Thursday morning, amid a one-day strike, but many more workers stayed on the job while their colleagues marched through Terminal 3 and picketed outside.
Some baggage handlers, security officers, wheelchair attendants, janitors, and cabin cleaners began their strike at 10 p.m. Wednesday, but some others went about work as usual.
The striking workers said they deserve better pay and benefits. They're seeking a $15 hourly wage.
Baggage handler Philip Newman said he's fighting for something he believes in.
"You're basically spending all your money on rent, so now you're just trying to find a way to feed yourself. It's either feeding or being homeless, so which one would you choose?" he said.
One young man who was pushing a wheelchair at O'Hare earlier in the day said he's a college student who only works a couple days a week, and had not even heard about the 24-hour walkout. A couple janitors said they were working, and not striking.
The city's Aviation Department said the strike didn't have any impact on airport operations on Thursday.
Service Employees International Union Local 1 is working to organize a union for the airport staffers. SEIU Local 1 President Tom Balanoff admitted most O'Hare workers did not join the strike, but he said they still support the effort.
"They're not out here today, because they're afraid, or because they can't give up a day's pay," he said.
The workers and their supporters also voiced concerns about job safety, a lack of training, health standards, and high worker turnover.
"Workers are striking today; striking to demand the right to form a union; striking to demand the right to have a voice on the job," Balanoff said.
Similar strikes were scheduled for Thursday at other major airports in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.
The workers are employed by contractors for the airlines, and say they earn between $6.50 an hour to just less than $13 an hour.
The strike originally was scheduled for March 22, but was postponed due to the terrorist attacks in Brussels that day.