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I have a phone call this morning with the HR Manager at Bags, Inc. whose employees are on strike for being paid as low as 8 dollars an hour. They help disabled people get from point A to point B at the airport. He thinks I'm a college student interviewing him for my class. (Patreon)

Published:
2021-11-23 14:32:45
Imported:
2026-06

Comments

PalmerTrolls

From the Orlando Sentinel: Nearly a hundred wheelchair attendants at Orlando International Airport held a one-day strike Thursday to protest low wages and difficult conditions. “Here we are at the gateway of the happiest place on Earth and workers are overworked, underpaid and they’ve had enough,” said Helene O’Brien, Florida director for the attendants’ union, 32BJ SEIU. The attendants are employees of Orlando-based Bags Inc., which contracts with several airlines to assist travelers using wheelchairs in navigating between ground transportation and airline gates. Workers are paid as little as $8 an hour by the company. They also depend on tips but commonly do not receive any. Attendants said travelers typically are unaware that tips are a major part of their income. O’Brien said the workers have lodged a complaint about Bags’ labor practices and are negotiating for better wages and conditions. “I work for starvation wages,” said Joseph Gourgue Sr. “I cannot get a day off. I do not have any sick leave. I don’t have any vacation pay. That’s un-American.” Gourgue said he and co-workers assist several-dozen passengers in a shift. On a good day, he earns about $60, while on bad days, pay drops to less than $30. Another attendant, Anjannette Reyes, said the work includes assisting large passengers, who, with their luggage, can mean having to handle hundreds of pounds. “We do love our job, but physically and mentally we are tired,” Reyes said. “We don’t have support from the manager and the company we work for.” Bags did not respond to requests for comment. The company previously was owned by Craig Mateer of Orlando, who was picked this year as a board member at the airport’s parent agency, the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. The authority responded that wage concerns are the responsibility of airlines and their contractors. Spokespersons at Frontier and American airlines, both of which contract with Bags for wheelchair attendants, referred questions to the company. “We do not get involved in discussions between other companies and their employees,” American spokesperson Lindsey Martin said. Several other companies at Orlando’s airport contract with other airlines to provide wheelchair attendants.