Piedmont Airline Workers Picket for Livable Wages, Health Care, and Safety

A year and a half into bargaining for a new contract, CWA-represented passenger service and ramp agents at Piedmont Airlines walked the picket line at airports across the country to show the company they are serious about a contract that secures the livable pay, health care, and workplace safety they deserve. 

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CWA District 2-13 Vice President Mike Davis and AFA-CWA International Vice President Keturah Johnson joined CWA Local 13301 Piedmont members in Philadelphia.

CWA District 2-13 Vice President Mike Davis and AFA-CWA International Vice President Keturah Johnson joined CWA Local 13301 Piedmont members in Philadelphia. In Detroit, Rep. Shri Thanedar walked the picket line with workers. In Washington, D.C., the CWA Local 2252 Executive Board joined workers on the line. Piedmont workers also received support from fellow CWA members, including the Telecommunications and Technology Sector and AFA-CWA as they picketed in other locations including Charlotte, N.C.; Boise, Idaho; Bakersfield, Calif.; San Luis Obispo, Calif.; Santa Rosa, Calif.; Tucson, Ariz.; Phoenix, Ariz.; and Richmond, Va.

Despite performing essential, often dangerous labor for one of the largest airlines in the country, many passenger service and ramp agents at Piedmont Airlines—a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines—don’t have health care coverage and rely on government assistance to make ends meet.

"We're letting the public and management know that CWA means business," Tom Garza, CWA 9423 Area Steward, told KEYT in San Luis Obispo. "We're trying to get this contract negotiated. These are frontline workers. They're their ramp agents, ticket agents, baggage handlers, and every day hands-on employees who are the backbone of Piedmont Air. All they're asking for is fair wages and healthcare and safety.”

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This post originally appeared on cwa-union.org.