We're building power at SEA Airport
Airport workers are fed up. We are coming together to demand a better workplace, where there is respect, safety and a fair compensation. Together, you have the power to fight for that, and much more.
Many workers at the airport are already part of a union. You and your co-workers can also gain bargaining power, by forming a union at the SEA Airport.
Are you ready to take action to improve your job but not sure where to start? Leave us your information and we will be in touch!
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A union at SEA Airport
Airports aren’t working the way they should — long lines, flights that are frequently canceled or delayed. There is frustration all around. Workers shouldn't have to bear the burden of that.
Unionized workers at SEA Airport have been able to achieve important improvement to their jobs, together. Airline catering workers who are part of a union achieved an hourly wage increase of up to $3 last year. In May, unionized cabin cleaners at SEA Airport also fought and won raises and increased vacation time.
You deserve better too. And better is possible, with the power of a union. That's why we've launched SEA Airport Workers United, as an avenue to help workers connect with a union and build power.
SEA Airport workers are part of a union*
Unions have members at the SEA Airport*
* Approximate figures based on internal SEA Airport research.
Why we are organizing
Unions are about workers coming together to gain a voice at work. When you organize, you can negotiate improvements that are important to you. This is what we are hearing airport workers want to see improved.
Fair compensation
It pays off to belong to a union. You deserve to be compensated fairly for your important work at the airport. As a union, you and your co-workers can negotiate for wage improvements.
Fair treatment
Everyone deserves dignity and respect at work. Forming a union allows you to hold management accountable. If you are being unfairly treated or discriminated, your union will have your back.
Safety at work
Through the pandemic and beyond, airport workers deserve that their safety is made a priority. With a union you can ensure that's the case, always.
Something else you don't see here?
Union members at SEA airport
From passenger services workers to airline catering employees, many workers at SEA Airport are already part of a union. They are fighting, and winning, better working conditions. You can gain that power too. Get in touch to get started.
“No airport could run without us”
We need to make sure that airport workers across the country are getting the wages and benefits that we work hard for. No airport could run without us: the security guards, the cabin cleaners, the luggage handlers, and so many more under appreciated jobs that make airline travel happen.
SEIU member
"In a union, you feel protected"
ALL airport jobs should be good, union jobs that pay workers enough to live, and provide healthcare and the benefits they deserve. Our airports wouldn't work without workers and there is no reason that any airport worker should struggle to survive and afford a place to live.
SEIU member
Current news & actions
Answers to your questions
Here are answers to questions workers often have about joining a union. Have additional questions? We can help.
A union is an organized group of workers who unite to have a voice on the job and have a say in their working conditions. Being part of a union gives workers the right to negotiate for workplace improvements as a group with their employer, in the form of a union contract. Once a contract has been negotiated and democratically voted in by the membership, it is also a union’s role to enforce it.
Unions empower workers, defend their rights and keep employers accountable. Unions are democratic non-profit organizations with leaders elected by the membership every few years. They are governed by clear constitutions, bylaws and other rules that are accessible to and changeable by the membership at regularly held conventions or meetings.
Ultimately, unions begin with workers. There are millions of union members in the United States, who know that by standing together they can achieve greater things than on their own.
When you and your co-workers come together to form a union, you can protect and improve your wages, benefits and working conditions. Some of the benefits of forming a union include:
A voice at work: Unionized workers have a say about their working conditions and can negotiate improvements.
Enforceable contract: Union members have a legal contract that protects their wages, benefits and conditions at work.
Accountability: Workers in a union have access to formal procedures and resources to dispute unfair treatment.
Collective power: There’s strength in numbers. Unions level the playing field, providing workers with an equal voice to management.
There is value in having a collective voice at work, and the data proves it. Studies have shown that workers in a union are more likely to benefit from:
higher wages (11.2% more than what nonunion workers make)
employer-provided health insurance (94% compared to 68%)
access to paid sick days (91% compared to 73%);
retirement benefits through private employers (82% to 48%); and
guaranteed pensions through private employers (54% to 8%).
The union advantage is even greater for people of color, women, immigrants, and others who have confronted workplace discrimination. A union contract provides an assurance that all workers will be treated fairly at work.
SEA Airport Workers United is a group of Sea-Tac airport workers and local labor unions coming together to improve working conditions at the airport. We have launched this campaign page as an avenue to spread the word about our movement, build power together and organize!
The most important thing to know is that forming a union is a right protected under labor legislation, in most cases that is the National Labor Relations Act. Joining a union is a democratic and confidential process.
In simple terms, there are three main steps to forming a union:
- Get in touch: Connect with SEA Airport Workers United. We will help answer your questions in confidence and connect you with the right union. After that, a union organizer will help you strategize next steps
- Build power: Together with your co-workers, form an organizing committee. The committee will take responsibility for building support and mobilizing your co-workers.
- Vote YES!: Once a majority of your co-workers have affirmed their support, the NLRB can hold a secret ballot vote to form a union at your workplace. Vote “Yes” to form a union!
There is no cost to join a union until you and your co-workers negotiate and vote in favor of your first union contract. It’s unlikely that any worker would vote for a contract that didn’t make paying dues worthwhile.
Once you vote in support of your new contract and start benefiting from it, your dues will be no more than a small percentage of your earnings. Due rates vary per job and union – we encourage you to get in touch with us to find out more.
Since unions are non-profit organizations, you can be sure everything you invest in your union is spent back on union members. The voice at work, rights and benefits that come with unionization are well worth the small cost associated with participating.