MIDWEST AIRPORT, March 8 — After all the lies, intimidation, and harassment, the metro-area and airport cleaners won their battle! SEIU members made signs on February 27 as the strike was to begin on March 1. The cleaning bosses saw this was really going to happen so they sent their lead negotiator to meet with the union rank-and-file Bargaining Committee. After 18 hours of nonstop negotiations they came to an agreement late Sunday night: better health insurance plus three raises separately over three years and equal pay for black cleaners.
The cleaning bosses’ last BS proposal, before they saw the workers were serious, was sent in a letter passed out by supervisors and managers to airport cleaners. The union steward read it and ripped it up in front of his supervisor and coworkers. He told the supervisor to his face, “this is baloney!” His coworkers agreed!
There were sharp political discussions with airport workers around CHALLENGE and the need to strike for a short-term reform, but with the goal for long-term class struggle for communist revolution, and to create an anti-racist, anti-sexist society. Our CHALLENGE readers at the airport also struggled sharply with coworkers who were going to cross picket lines out of fear of the bosses. Many minds were changed.
After threatening to take action, with multi-racial union members’ support, metro-area black workers, who were paid $2.50 less than Latino and white cleaners, won back pay and the same wages as the other cleaners. However, because workers live under capitalism their small victory still does not eliminate our problems.
An increase in wages does not change that the workers are exploited to create profit for the bosses. In the end, the unions work for the bosses, and won’t fight for what workers truly need — a world run by workers for workers. Maintaining capitalism means small gains inevitably get taken away.
We have a few Latino union members who are in danger of losing their homes after taking out subprime loans before the U.S. economic crisis hit. Now the banks want to foreclose on their homes. Capitalism does not work. The airport struggle made the political ideas of PLP a little clearer for a few airport workers. Also, we built a CHALLENGE study group out of our political struggle.
We received political support from as far away as workers at Kennedy Airport in New York, who showed their support with offers of union support and money. This anti-racist and political solidarity is greatly appreciated.
One thing about the metro-area and airport fight-back that many people have commented on was the multiracial unity which cut across racial, national, and language lines. Women took the lead in organizing resistance to the racist anti-working-class attacks.
The international working class has a long way to go in our battles ahead for a new and better society and world , but PLP will be there to lead our class onto victory! March on May Day for communism!