After one year, Sky Chefs workers want action on contract

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.workdayminnesota.org/index.php?news_6_4662

By Michael Moore
26 October 2010

BLOOMINGTON - This month marks the one-year anniversary of the start of contract negotiations between LSG Sky Chefs, the world’s largest airline catering company, and UNITE-HERE, the union representing 6,600 Sky Chefs employees nationwide.

Workers from Sky Chefs kitchens across the country marked the anniversary with a rally Oct. 22 in the Twin Cities, where federal lawmakers joined labor leaders and rank-and-file members in calling on the company to stop dragging its feet and negotiate in good faith with its workers.

“Here we are a year later, and workers have met with the company once and sometimes twice a month,” said Martin Goff, vice president of Twin Cities-based UNITE-HERE Local 17. “Still, the company does not have a comprehensive proposal on the table.”


Sky Chefs workers want action on a fair contract that addresses concessions they made four years ago.

Photo by Michael Moore

Workers want Sky Chefs to begin the process of making them whole for deep wage and benefit concessions they gave the company four years ago, when it appeared headed for bankruptcy.

Now that Sky Chefs is profitable again, workers are looking to recover their standard of living. But Sky Chefs is seeking more concessions, including a health care plan that would increase premiums even more.

“These workers gave wages up, they took health care increases, they received a contract that was worse than what they had a decade ago,” Goff said. “But it was all done with the idea of keeping their jobs and their company afloat – and with the promise that they would be appreciated later on when the company started to do better.

FULL story at link.