Supporting SEIU Local 49-Minimum Standards
Campaign
Our union, KHMU(Korean
Health & Medical Workers’ Union with 45,000 union members at the hospitals
and health care industry in Korea), has a long and proud history of solidarity
with working people anywhere they are struggling to organize a union to improve
their lives and working conditions. As the primary union for airport workers in
our country, we especially seek to work together across borders to raise
standards in airports worldwide.
We have learned about
the struggle of hundreds of low wage airline contracted workers at Portland
International Airport (PDX) who are trying to organize a union with Service
Employees International Union Local 49. As the owner of PDX, the Port of
Portland can and should take steps to ensure that contracting decisions by airlines
do not put passengers, airport workers, or their communities at risk. We
understand that the workers have proposed six Minimum Standards including:
Standardized Contracting Requirements, Improved Safety, Training, and Equipment
Standards, Workforce Retention, Labor Harmony, Whistleblower Protection, and
Living Wage and Healthcare improvements. We encourage the Port of Portland to
listen to the workers and implement the Minimum Standards they have put
forward.
We are honored that the
Port of Portland seeks to build economic and cultural ties with our country and
maintains offices and staff here to help that work. We look forward to
continuing to support a bright future for all workers both here and in the
region that the Port serves.
Sincerely Yours,
Yoo, Ji-hyun
President of Korean Health and
Medical Workers’ Union(KHMU)
CC: Alice Dale (UNI Property
Services Head)
Chris Ng (UNI-APRO Regional
Secretary)
Jay Choi (UNI-Korea Desk
Coordinator)