Relax, Holiday Travelers, JFK Airport Security Guards Call Off Their Strike
If you're planning on flying in or out of JFK over the next few days, the rumblings of an imminent strike by contracted security guards at the airport starting scheduled to start tomorrow might have given you some concern.
Diana Eliazov Prince Jackson announced last night that the JFK security strike has been called off.
(Alternately, even if you weren't doing holiday flying, the idea that the people responsible for airport safety make poverty wages, don't get sick days, and often lack adequate training and equipment might also have given you some concern.)
Either way, you can breathe a little easier, as the security officers have announced that they're calling off the strike after the Port Authority intervened.
"Earlier today, the Port Authority asked us to call off our strike, and more importantly, asked the contractors to meet with us," said Prince Jackson, an Air Serv employee profiled by the Voice a year ago. "We look forward to discussing or concerns with the contractors."
The employees, who number roughly 300, are working closely with the Service Employees International Union 32BJ, which has specialized in recent years in organizing security workers.
The employees say they still expect a long fight. But with the suspension of their strike, the likelihood that travelers' flights will be an agonizing mess has dropped back down to normal holiday levels.
Previous Coverage:
- JFK Airport Security Guards Vote to Strike December 20
- JFK Airport Security Guards Threaten to Strike
- Air Safety On The Cheap
[npinto@villagevoice.com] [@macfathom]
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