Catering Workers at JFK Arrested After Taking Over a Terminal as Part of Nationwide Protest

American’s Terminal 8 at JFK

Thousands of airline catering employees who work for LSG Sky Chefs are staging protests at airports across the country to lobby American Airlines, which contracts with the company for in-flight meals, for better wages.

In New York City, dozens of LSG Sky Chefs employees were arrested Tuesday night after staging a sit-in at the American Airlines Terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport on what is one of the busiest travel days of the year.

Out of 4,100 workers nationwide, the union that represents them, Unite Here, said that 30% were uninsured and 35% relied on government-subsidized healthcare for their families.

The catering workers want American to put pressure on LSG Sky Chefs to pay higher salaries, although that would bring an increase in catering costs to the airline.

LSG Sky Chefs said that negotiations with the union for better pay began in May of this year.

“Our company has offered improvements in wages and is discussing numerous other issues covered by our collective bargaining agreement,” the company said in a statement. “While this is a short period of time to negotiate a complex labor agreement, we feel progress is being made with the help of the federal mediator.”

(Photo: Accura Media Group)