Opinion: Why I’m One of Thousands Protesting at Airports Today

by Nelson Robinson

Today, myself and thousands of my coworkers and allies are planning protests at nearly 20 airports nationwide—on one of the busiest travel days of the year. I have traveled to North Carolina to join my union siblings at Charlotte Douglas International Airport alongside hundreds of my coworkers and community allies, with protests also taking place at major airports in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami, Dallas, Philadelphia, and others, including my hometown hub airport of DCA.

For ten years, I’ve worked in the kitchens at National Airport as a coordinator, responsible for making sure flights for airlines such as American have everything it needs to take off. But, despite having a decade on the job, I’ve had to hold off getting a much-needed knee surgery for one very frustrating reason: I can’t afford it.

As a diabetic, I’m always nervous about my health. The company’s health insurance plan takes about $50 out of my paycheck every week, and I’m spending another $60 out of my own pocket to cover the copay or my specialist on top of that—not to mention having to keep up with the cost of the diet required of my condition. Forced to work overtime to keep up with health costs, I’ve even taken a side job in the gig economy.

Meanwhile, American Airlines, reaping the benefits of my labor, enjoys billions in record-breaking profit every year.

I’m not alone in my health care struggles. I’m not the only catering worker who has had to skip or delay care, prescriptions, or medical treatment in the last year. Too many of us are relying on government-funded programs, despite working in a multi-billion-dollar industry, with folks refusing overtime because they are afraid their children might lose their health insurance.

Even if we are paying for the company’s expensive (and inadequate) plan, we still find ourselves drowning in medical debt, with many owning over $1,000. Worst of all, many of my coworkers at DCA and at kitchens nationwide have talked about having to travel to other countries to receive medical care instead of in the United States.

That is why we are taking action and have been leading large-scale demonstrations all summer. In July, hundreds came to Washington, D.C. for an epic informational picket at my home airport with some of our biggest allies in Congress from Representative Rashida Tlaib to Senator Sherrod Brown, as well as presidential hopefuls Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. In August, over 50 working people took arrest outside American Airlines’ headquarters that sent a clear message that we will be everywhere American Airlines is until we win what we deserve. And just last month, we went to Philadelphia’s airport to declare to American that healthcare is a human right, and I participated in a die-in alongside some of my coworkers, community allies and faith leaders.

Our goal is simple: escape poverty and stay healthy. We do not want to disrupt travel; we just want to survive, even thrive in our communities. That means a living wage and access to quality health care for us and members of our families—to start. Through marches, pickets, sit-downs and die-ins, today’s momentous day of action calling on American Airlines—and Delta at three of its key hubs in Detroit, Minneapolis, and Seattle—to take urgent and necessary steps to ensure we who cater inflight meals and beverages are able to escape poverty is collectively the largest demonstration of workers at U.S. airports in years.

American Airlines can end this labor dispute, and as a result, end the crisis of poverty affecting so many of us airline catering workers who put our bodies through the grinder every day doing the tough physical labor our jobs in the kitchens require. Delta Air Lines has the power to take action, too.

Until they both do, we will be wherever they are; whether that means showing up to their headquarters like we did American’s in Texas or showing up at their hubs two days before Thanksgiving. This won’t end until these behemoth airlines like American and Delta decide to end it.

Because one job should be enough for all airline catering workers.

Nelson Robinson is an airline catering coordinator at National Airport (DCA) and a member of UNITE-HERE Local 23.