ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando International Airport wheelchair agents said they will strike on Thursday to protest for better wages and benefits.
In a press release, agents said they are “dangerously overworked” and earn as little as $7.98 an hour with unreliable tips. Agents also said they are given no paid sick days or “other meaningful benefits.”
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According to the release, a survey of wheelchair agents at MCO shows that 42% said they rely on public benefits such as food stamps, and 10% have had a workplace injury.
The agents striking are employed by Baggage Airlines Guest Services Inc. (BAGS), an airline contractor for American Airlines and Frontier Airlines.
“...many airlines and their contractors, like BAGS Inc, are squeezing their workers and have refused to make airport jobs more competitive by offering living wages and even the most basic benefits,” the release said.
In the release, agents say the strike is part of a “National Week of Action,” in which all U.S. airport employees are called upon to demand better working conditions and benefits from airlines and their contractors.
MCO wheelchair agents have scheduled two walk-off demonstrations Thursday, one at 8 a.m. and the other at 2 p.m., that will be bridged by a press conference at 12 p.m. in Terminal B, according to the release.