There are thousands of poverty-wage workers at our first-class airport…

…including the people who handle bags, clean cabins, provide passenger services, and fuel the planes. These poverty-wage workers at Sea-Tac Airport aren’t employed by the airlines or even the Port of Seattle, which runs the airport. Instead, these jobs have been contracted out to the lowest-bidder, driving down wages and benefits. Now these workers are organizing to make every job at our airport a good job. And they are winning. 

Working Washington helped drive a multi-union community coalition which qualified a good jobs initiative for the ballot. In the face of big-money opposition from Alaska Airlines and other major corporate players, a $15/hour wage for travel & tourism industry workers went to the ballot in the small city of SeaTac in November 2013 -- and workers won! This breakthrough for the $15 movement inspired workers in Seattle and across the country, showing that the call for $15 could become a reality -- not just a slogan on picket sign.

The full implementation is being held up in courts because Alaska Airlines and the Port of Seattle sued to overturn the initiative, but airport workers continue to push forward.

In July 2014, workers at Bags, a contractor company who serves Alaska Airline customers, formed a union for better wages and respect. Alaska and Bags both tried to stop it, but workers would not be denied. Other workers are joining together too — and winning support from groups like Puget Sound Sage, The Greater Church Council of Seattle, Abu Bakr, Washington CAN, and One America as they continue their campaign for good jobs and living wages at our airport