Protesting airline caterers temporarily blocked a main street into Los Angeles International Airport late Tuesday as they called for higher pay and better working conditions.
According to KABC-TV, the caterers are employees of Flying Food Group and members of the UNITE HERE Local 11 labor union, which represents hospitality workers in California and Arizona. Flying Food Group supplies food and beverages for carriers such as Hawaiian Airlines, Air France, and Lufthansa.
At one point in the evening, the protests spilled out onto Century Boulevard and blocked cars from entering the airport. Police then intervened to move the workers back onto the sidewalk, KABC reported.
Tuesday was expected to be the busiest travel day of the Thanksgiving holiday period, and could turn out to be the busiest single day of 2025.
The caterers told local media that they face unsafe working conditions, including burst pipes, blocked exits, malfunctioning fire alarms, and exposure to chemical burns.
“Despite the growing number of problems – and despite workers repeatedly raising these concerns – the leadership of Los Angeles World Airports has failed to take meaningful action to hold Flying Food Group accountable to the city’s own requirements for its licensees,” Susan Minato, co-president of UNITE HERE Local 11, said in a statement. “We need accountability from the city.”
The workers have also filed complaints with California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health.
