Airport Workers Strike Over Labor Practices, Wages Across Tri-State

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Workers at all three major airports in the Tri-State area went on strike Thursday.

Many security officers, baggage handlers, janitors and other employees walked off the job at LaGuardia, Newark Liberty and John F. Kennedy airports.

Around 200 workers gathered at JFK to protest unfair labor practices and are demanding a $15 an hour minimum pay rate, 1010 WINS' Glenn Schuck reported.

As CBS2's Ilana Gold reported, they also claim that some airlines put them and passengers in danger.

Some JFK airport employees told Schuck they believed it was unfair to ask workers to also check for weapons as they were cleaning an aircraft -- a practice they say they are not trained or paid enough to do.

"Besides cleaning, we have to lift up all the seats and check every inch of the plane and make sure there's no weapons," one airport employee said. "But it's to the point where we don't have time to search the planes, we just have time to clean."

The workers also search for other hazards like hypodermic needles.

"We have been exposed to working in darkness to hypodermic needles to syringes," Shane Charles said, "No protective gear, nothing."

Charles said he hasn't been given enough time or training to do a thorough inspection.

"Not only ourselves, but the public's lives are at risk," he said.

Passengers were disturbed by the claims.

"It's not good. It's not good. Not in the world we live in today," Margie Barrett said.

CBS2 tried to reach out to subcontractors about the complaints, but got no response. United Airlines and Jet Blue said there had been no impact on operations.

"We ensured our service partners had contingency plans in place to continue to serve our customer," United said.

"We have long been on the record urging our business partners to be responsive to the needs of their employees," Jet Blue said.

Pilots for Delta Airlines are also seeking a 40 percent pay hike over the next three years, CBS2 reports. According to the pilot's union, pilots took a steep pay cut when Delta merged with Northwest Airlines in an attempt to keep the carriers out of bankruptcy.

Experts say Delta does pay its pilots less than both United and American Airlines.

Workers at several other airports across the country are also participating in strikes.

Strikes in the New York area were scheduled to end at 10 p.m. Thursday when workers will go back to their jobs with or without resolution.