As Busy Holiday Travel Season Takes off, US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg meets with SEIU Local 1 Airport Service Worker at Chicago International O’Hare Airport
Chicago, IL - As millions of Americans prepare to fly to celebrate the holidays this week the U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttgieg, took time on his trip to Chicago International O’Hare Airport to meet with airport service workers and union members about the current state of Illinois Transportation and the future of transportation policy nationally.
Airport service workers — a largely Black, brown, multiracial and immigrant service workforce — serve on the frontlines of our nation’s aviation system. These workers including cleaners, wheelchair agents, baggage handlers, concessionaires, and security personnel keep airports safe and running smoothly even through a global pandemic, climate disasters, and busy travel seasons. Their workplace is critical publicly-funded infrastructure that is essential for driving the economy of entire cities, regions and the world.
James Taylor, a Local 1 member and Passenger Service Attendant who assists travelers who need wheelchair support to travel through Chicago International O’Hare Airport was the first to greet the Secretary of Transportation and walk him through a day on the job at one of the busiest airports in the country. SEIU Local 1 member James Taylor had this to say about his interaction with the U.S. Secretary of Transportation:
“When I heard the news that I would be meeting with Pete Buttigieg today, I could not contain my excitement. To be able to meet Secretary Pete and talk with him about the positives and challenges I face on the job in the airport gives me hope that he will take that into consideration when advocating for changes to the United States transportation system and the creation of more union jobs to make the workforce stronger.”
The Illinois Department of Transportation is constantly evolving to more efficient methods for travelers as technology advances. Local 1 and other essential union workers across the country look forward to working closely with SecretaryButtigieg as he continues to lead the U.S. Department of Transportation including implementing the billions of investments in airports under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
SEIU Local 1 members and their co-workers from across the country are leading the SEIU Airport Workers United, a movement that since launching in 2015 has empowered more than 154,000 airport workers to win raises and job improvements. More than 35,000 contracted airport service workers have won their union with SEIU and the right to bargain collectively for higher wages, better benefits, protections on the job and a brighter future for their families.
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Service Employees International Union Local 1 unites 50,000 workers throughout the Midwest, including janitors, security officers, higher education faculty, food service workers and others. Local 1 is committed to improving the lives of its members and all working people by winning real economic justice and standing at the forefront of the fight for immigrant, racial and environmental justice.