More than 320 employees of Sun Country Airlines working at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport filed this month to join Teamsters Local 970 to secure better wages, seniority, and respect on the job.
"Employees deserve to have a voice, and it is our honor to help them be heard," said Chad Reichow, President of Local 970. "Our goal is to help members secure a contract that benefits their families and reflects their worth."
Currently, ramp and related workers at Sun Country Airlines receive a 50-cent raise after 90 days of employment. But wages are subsequently frozen until specific promotions can be realized. In the best-case scenarios, such efforts only typically amount to an extra dollar per hour for any given worker.
In addition to frozen wages and limited opportunities for advancement, workers never receive cost-of-living adjustments.
"The turnover rate is significantly high in this class of workers, and that needs to change," said Joe Ferreira, Director of the Teamsters Airline Division. "We want companies to prosper, but also share the outcome with the folks that make it happen. Take care of our members, and they will take care of you."
Teamsters Local 970 represents more than 1,500 workers in airline and manufacturing.