Over 8,000 airline catering workers employed by Gate Gourmet are preparing to strike as soon as Tuesday, July 30, potentially impacting inflight catering operations at 30 airports across the mainland U.S. and Hawaii.

The workers, represented by labor unions Unite Here, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers, Grain Millers Union (BCTGM) and the Retail Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), have been released from federal mediation with the National Mediation Board as of June 29 a Friday new release said. 

Despite years of negotiations, Gate Gourmet has not yet presented a proposal that offers raises in line with the rising cost of living and an affordable health insurance option.

gate gourmet food truck next to a plane

A Gate Gourmet International AG catering truck on the tarmac at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) in Atlanta, Georgia, on Friday, July 12, 2024.  ( Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The catering workers are crucial to the airline industry, preparing, packing and delivering food and beverages to aircraft. Despite their essential role, many workers face low wages and inadequate access to affordable healthcare. 

As of January 2024, some Gate Gourmet workers earned as little as $13 per hour, and only 25% of union workers were enrolled in the company’s healthcare plan. Fewer than 2% had signed up for dependent coverage.

The strike could disrupt inflight services at several major airports, including passengers flying in and out of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac). Sea-Tac Airport uses LSG Sky Chefs for its inflight catering services as well as Gate Gourmet. 

list of airports affected by gate gourmet strike

Over 8,000 airline catering workers at 30 U.S. airports are preparing to go on strike as soon as Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (Association of Flight Attendants)

Amidst rising U.S. passenger volumes and record airline profits — $13 billion last year alone for American Airlines, Delta Airlines and United Airlines combined — the workers’ demands for fair wages and healthcare have gained significant attention. Despite ongoing protests and more than six years of bargaining, Gate Gourmet and the airlines it serves have yet to meet the workers’ demands.

“Gate Gourmet workers have been fighting for a new union contract for far too long,” said Wendi Walsh, executive vice president of UNITE HERE and secretary-treasurer of UNITE HERE Local 355 in South Florida, in the release. “These workers are barely scraping by on near-poverty wages with lousy, expensive medical benefits, and we’ve spent seven years at the bargaining table trying to get a deal. Meanwhile, profits for the airlines whose planes they’re catering keep going up. Gate Gourmet workers won’t settle for less than they’re worth. They’re getting ready to walk out on strike on or after July 30th to win the wages and health care that they deserve.”

UNITE HERE has launched a new website, Airport Strike Alert, to provide passengers with real-time updates on potential strike activity and its impact on inflight services. The website can be accessed at AirportStrikeAlert.org, where passengers can also sign up for email alerts.

As the strike date approaches, protests and picket activities have already taken place or are scheduled in cities such as Chicago, Miami, Newark and San Francisco. 

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