home | news archive | detroit

Local 3 Leads Campaign to
Hold Airport Authority Accountable

 
Member Organizer Donna Wilbourn petitioning:
Photo by Dana Sevakis

Just over a year ago, 83 airport cleaners lost their jobs and health benefits when Detroit Metro Airport fired the Local 3 Janitors and replaced them with non-union cleaners in 2 of the 3 terminals.  The new cleaning company, Knight Facilities Management, pays several dollars an hour less and offers no important benefits, like health care.

 Janitors have been fighting back ever since.  During the Airport Authority’s January board meeting, Local 3 discovered that the Authority wanted up to $650  million in bonds for Airport reconstruction.  In February, the local kicked off a petition drive to gather the 15,000 voter signatures needed to force a public vote on the bonds.  On March 17, members turned in over 25,000 signatures – over 10,000 more than needed – giving Wayne County voters a voice on the bonds and a chance to hold the Airport Authority accountable for its actions.  The effort sends a strong message to the Authority that they can’t balance their books on the backs of low income janitors. 

Local 3 would like to thank all the members that helped collect signatures during the drive.  Fred Klett, a janitor at Ford Credit in Dearborn, gathered signatures in his community of Taylor.  “I know that the Airport fight is my fight too” he said.  “If we don’t stand up to the Airport, what guarantee will I have that the union is safe at my job?”

Press Links

 March 16th Detroit News article by Joel Smith

 President Pete Hanrahan’s April 9th Detroit News Op/Ed

 August 2004 Michigan Citizen article by Diane Bukowski

 May 2005 Michigan Citizen article by Diane Bukowski