Issued September 23, 2015
In open Letter to Washington State’s Elected and Business Leaders, Community Leader Reverend Jan Bolerjack, Pastor of Riverton Park United in Tukwila, Calls on State Leaders to Use Chinese President’s Seattle Visit to Reflect on Lack of Shared Prosperity in Region’s Economy
Rev. Jan Bolerjack, Pastor of Riverton Park United and community ally of subcontracted workers employed at Sea-Tac International Airport, sent an open letter today to Washington’s business and elected officials urging them to find a better way to work with Sea-Tac workers so the hardworking men and women who load the planes can share in the prosperity created through expanded international trade and tourism.
At a time when the Port of Seattle is celebrating huge increases in the amount of air freight being shipped to China as well as the millions in economic activity generated by each new flight to Asia and other international destinations, the airport workers who are the backbone of the state’s rising tourism and commerce with Asia are being left behind.
“Sea-Tac workers obviously have a stake in the success of the airport but we can’t have a world class airport when airlines and their contractors fail to invest in quality passenger services. We are concerned that the Port of Seattle Commission has been considering a plan to heavily subsidize the international terminal development,” Rev. Bolerjack wrote.
Many of the state’s elected and corporate leaders including airline industry leaders such as Alaska Airlines are preparing to meet this week with Chinese President Xi Jinping to promote ties with the state’s biggest trading partner.
“On behalf of these workers and our community, we are calling for a halt to any further use of public money to support development projects benefiting airlines operating at Sea-Tac until the service contractors these carriers use agree to honor the recent State Supreme Court decision and uphold the Sea-Tac Minimum Wage Law,” Rev. Bolerjack added.
A copy of Reverend Bolerjack’s letter is available here.
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Airport workers across the country are coming together in Airport Workers United, a movement of workers and their allies, raising their voices for $15 and union rights to make our airports safe and secure for passengers, employees and our communities. Together, they have won a union voice for 15,000 airport workers and have already secured wage increases and other job improvements for more than 45,000 airport workers nationwide.