Shuttle Bus Drivers at the LAX Century Corridor Become First to be Unionized Along Century Boulevard
Labor Desk
May 06, 2006
(Los Angeles) - Approximately 100 hotel shuttle drivers working along the Century Corridor won union recognition last week, becoming the first workers in the LAX area to become unionized. Shuttle drivers are now members of Teamsters Local 986 out of South El Monte and will soon begin negotiations for their first contract.
There is so much we need to work on such as ensuring that we have fair wages and health care benefits, but unlike before, I now have a voice on the job,” said Luis Salazar, a 10 year veteran shuttle driver. “We are the first workers on Century Boulevard to win the right to sit down and negotiate our own working conditions.”
The drivers' victory follows the Los Angeles World Airport Commission proposal to consolidate hotel shuttle services to and from LAX. On May 1, nine hotels along a stretch of Century Boulevard known as the Century Corridor subcontracted their shuttle service for at least five years to Penauille Servisair, a French-owned company formerly known as Servisair/GlobeGround. Although nine hotels along the Century Corridor have consolidated their shuttle services, eight hotels have yet to do so.
"This agreement shows the potential for workers and businesses on Century Boulevard to join together and improve conditions for everyone," said Rev. Altagracia Perez with the Coalition for a New Century, an alliance of churches, community-based organizations and residents seeking to revitalize Century Boulevard and the surrounding area. "We hope that the LAX hotel industry will follow the example of the hotel shuttle operators and join our efforts to create shared prosperity in the Gateway to L.A."
Teamsters Local 986 is expected to begin negotiations with the new subcontractor on behalf of the new unionized shuttle drivers soon. Workers' goals during contract negotiations include fair wages, solid health care benefits, an end to their at-will status and grievance procedure.
There is so much we need to work on such as ensuring that we have fair wages and health care benefits, but unlike before, I now have a voice on the job,” said Luis Salazar, a 10 year veteran shuttle driver. “We are the first workers on Century Boulevard to win the right to sit down and negotiate our own working conditions.”
The drivers' victory follows the Los Angeles World Airport Commission proposal to consolidate hotel shuttle services to and from LAX. On May 1, nine hotels along a stretch of Century Boulevard known as the Century Corridor subcontracted their shuttle service for at least five years to Penauille Servisair, a French-owned company formerly known as Servisair/GlobeGround. Although nine hotels along the Century Corridor have consolidated their shuttle services, eight hotels have yet to do so.
"This agreement shows the potential for workers and businesses on Century Boulevard to join together and improve conditions for everyone," said Rev. Altagracia Perez with the Coalition for a New Century, an alliance of churches, community-based organizations and residents seeking to revitalize Century Boulevard and the surrounding area. "We hope that the LAX hotel industry will follow the example of the hotel shuttle operators and join our efforts to create shared prosperity in the Gateway to L.A."
Teamsters Local 986 is expected to begin negotiations with the new subcontractor on behalf of the new unionized shuttle drivers soon. Workers' goals during contract negotiations include fair wages, solid health care benefits, an end to their at-will status and grievance procedure.
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