Striking restaurant workers at San Francisco International Airport are leaving hungry passengers to settle for peanuts, as workers say management is doing to them.
Approximately 1,000 servers, cooks, bartenders, dishwashers, and cashiers walked off the job today, bringing the food industry at the airport’s 84 food outlets to a standstill. Contract negotiations for a raise broke down in a city where even making $100,000 a year is not enough to pay for rent, groceries, utilities, and healthcare.
The average restaurant worker makes $16.99 in San Francisco while their airport counterparts make $17.05, less than the cost of an airport meal. The airport is a frequent U.S. entry for wealthy business travelers from Asia and Dubai.
SAN FRANCISCO IS BLEEDING RESIDENTS AND REVENUE
“I have to work two jobs to support my family and meet our needs, and it means I barely get to see my kids and grandkids,” said Vivian Narvarte, who works at both Pie Five Pizza and Ladle & Leaf Restaurant at SFO. “My pay for a whole hour of work is less than the price of just one meal. That is so unfair.”
Many of the workers have used social media to get the word out about their pay issue.
“We sell $21 margaritas, and we’re getting paid $16 an hour,” said Antonio, who filmed a TikTok video standing in front of a restaurant holding a menu. “I’m ready to go on strike because I can’t afford to live in this Bay Area.”
The city has seen a mass exodus of the middle class in recent years as housing and other costs make it unlivable except for the wealthy. Service industry employees typically live in outside suburbs and endure a lengthy traffic-clogged commute every day.
“Nobody can pay their bills or feed their kids on $17 an hour,” said Anand Singh, president of Unite Here Local 2. “Working at SFO used to mean you had a good job, but most of the airport’s fast-food workers haven’t seen a raise in three years. The hamburger or burrito an airport worker serves often costs more than what they make in an entire hour.”
“Nine months of negotiations got us nowhere, and SFO’s food service workers are tired of working two or even three jobs just to survive,” Singh added.
Workers were laid off during the pandemic when California endured some of the strictest closures in the nation, with restaurants and other businesses shuttered for a year. When employees returned to work, they found their pay had been slashed, Fox2 News reported.
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News pundits are predicting a red wave in November, and California has 52 seats up for grabs, including San Francisco, which has not elected a Republican House member since 1990. Seats are currently held by Nancy Pelosi and Jackie Speier, who announced that she is retiring.
