Street Roots • July 20-26, 2018
News
Page 7
Airport
workers call
for better
wages
PDX’s greatest assets’
are struggling on
minimum wages
BY SARAH HANSELL
STAFF WRITER
espite being on the job for only three
years, George Van ¿order,
1STOC K
wheelchair inspector at Portland
airport workers, who are “PDX’s greatest
International Airport, enjoys a senior status.
asset,” according to a March 2016 press
Close to 70 years old, Van Gorder is a
release by Chris White, Port of Portland’s
father, a grandfather and a Vietnam veteran
director of community affairs.
who wears his hat pronouncing his service
The call for higher wages for Port of
proudly. In his 60s, he earned an associate
Portland airport workers follows a national
degree in pharmaceutical work, but couldn’t
trend. In 2015, workers at the Seattle-
get a job in the field. At the time, his
Tacoma International Airport won a $15
daughter was working at the airport, and
minimum wage. In Los Angeles, airport
encouraged him to apply.
workers, who organized for higher wages,
Now, his co-workers call him “papa” — or
w ill now m ake at le a s t $17 p er hou r by 2 021.
the “Huntleigh lawyer,” Huntleigh USA is ,
In San Francisco, airport workers make
the airline-contracted company he works for,
close to $15 per hour, and are organizing for
providing baggage handling, wheelchair
higher wages. Airport workers in New York
assisting, pre-board check-in screening,
and New Jersey have been organizing for
janitorial and other services. They call him
higher wages, and directors of their Port
“papa” because he’s the oldest one there,
Authority have agreed to consider raising
he says, and the “Huntleigh lawyer” because
their minimum wage to $19.
his co-workers depend on him to advocate
The Portland airport has been named the
for them.
best domestic airport in the United States
“They come to me with all kinds of
for six years in a row by Travel + Leisure,
questions,” Van Gorder said. “Not just about
yet its workers are some of the lowest paid
work, but personal questions and everything
among leading West Coast airports,
like th a t So yep, that’s me.”
George Nan Gorder, left, and Bryce Pierson, work for the contractor Huntleigh USA at the
according to figures compiled by the union.
In 2015, Huntleigh workers won union
Portland International Airport. They say their wages, and those o f others working for
“They keep saying, “Oh we’re No. 1, in
representation by the Service Employees
contracted services, aren’t enough to live on.
Portland here, because of our employees,’ ”
International Union (SEIU) Local 49, and
Pierson said. “Well, take care of them.
■his co-workers nominated Van Gorder to be
That’s all I’m asking.”
their union representative, to advocate for
Pierson said. “It’s just something I’ve always relationships with the Port of Portland.
According to Steve Johnson, manager of
“By
subcontracting
these
essential
their rights and handle their grievances with had my dream on; how I would put my stuff
content and media relations at the Port of
services — essential
in my own place. I’m still dreaming*”
the company.
Portland, 2001 Oregon
to run an airline and
The thing they tell him over and over
Although Van Gorder is lucky, he says,
legislation prevents the
run an airport — by
again, is that airport workers simply cannot
because he receives Social Security, as well
Port of Portland from
"There's no way that a person
contracting them
make ends meet on Portland s $12 minimum as health care through the VA, he isn’t
setting a minimum wage
out to these low-
can d© Is. la d so what do yen
wage. Far from it: The National Low Income
exempt from the struggle of surviving on
requirement According
wage, low-standard
Housing Coalition 2018 report on rental
leave ont? Bo y©& leave ©at
to the Oregon State
minimum wage.
companies, they’re
prices found that Oregon renters must earn
“There’s no way, when you get $700
food this week? Or do yea leave Legislature’s website,
at least $21.77 in order to be able to afford a every two weeks,” he said. “My rent is
able to save a lot of
the law “preempts all
oat fa s , or do yea leave oat
one-bedroom apartment.
charter and statutory
$1,200. That leaves me $200 - to go for gas, money and increase
beat?
l
a
d
what
happen«!s
If
One of his co-workers is a single mother,
authority of local
to go for food, to go for insurance on the car their profits,” said
yea
h a w kids?"
who has to live at home with her mother,
Jeremy Simer,
and any other incidentals that I need,” he
*
r GEORGE V A N GORDER governments to set any
because she can’t afford to move out, even
U N IO N REPRESENTATIVE. minimum wage
strategic researcher
said. “There’s no way that a person can do
H U N T L E IG H EM PLO YE E
though she works full-time at the airport-
at SEIU Local 49.
requirements.”
i t And so what do you leave out? Do you
Another co-worker can’t afford a car, so
In 2015, as a
However, the same
leave out food this week? Or do you leave
he takes Trimet’s MAX train to the airport
response to workers
law also makes an
out gas, or do you leave out heat? And what
around 11 p.m., near the end of its run, and
organizing with
exception to the rule, allowing public
happens if you have kids?”
sleeps there until his shift begins around 3
SEIU Local 49 for higher wages and better
employers to set minimum wage
Van Gorder is one among hundreds of
working conditions, the Port of Portland
requirement “in specifications for public
a.m.
Portland airport workers represented by
Bryce Pierson, also a co-worker of Van
rolled out the PDX Workplace Initiative,
contracts entered into.” This suggests that
SEIU Local 49, following in the footsteps of
Gorder, is 26, and has been eager to live on
which established a worker retention policy
the Port has the authority to set a minimum
airport workers across the country
his own for years, but just can’t afford to
wage
requirement for the workers at all the
that
helps
protect
workers’
jobs
when
organizing for higher wages. SEIU Local 49
move out of his family home.
contractors change.
represents
workers
at
three
of
the
See AIRPORT, page 13
“I need to have a life. I don’t.want to live
What it didn’t do was raise wages for
companies that have contractual
with my mom and my dad anymore,
■