Subminimum Wage Paid to Airport Workers

Floor Speech

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Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Speaker, thousands of janitors, bag handlers, wheelchair attendants, and others at our Nation's airports work for wages as low as $2.13 plus tips.

That is not a typo. This is called the national subminimum wage, and it is unacceptable. Workers who help more than 3 million airport travelers every day deserve better.

In Chicago, more than 6,000 such workers represented by SEIU Local 1 now get a living wage and decent benefits, but far too many workers still depend on the luck of a tip jar to augment their measly $2.13 hourly wage. A $2.13 hourly wage will not fly.

Let's ground a $2.13 hourly wage once and for all. Let's pass the Good Jobs for Good Airports Act now.

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