Report on 2/19 Press Conference: Justice for Immigrant Airport Workers

February 19, 2002: Today marks the implementation of the “Transportation and Aviation Act”, legislation which transfers the management of airport security to the federal government, thereby requiring all airport screeners to be United States citizens. The impact of the act is staggering, as thousands of documented immigrants who compose the majority of this workforce, including 1200 people locally, stand to lose their jobs. Among the three Bay Area airports- Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose- 80-90% of screeners are Filipino immigrants, most of whom are non-U.S. citizens. Historically undervalued, these workers currently receive $7/hour, minimal benefits, and little training. Rather than reaping the rewards of doubled wages and improved healthcare packages as stipulated by the legislation, those who have been long term, dedicated employees will suddenly find themselves laid-off as the new legislation rolls into effect. In addition, the act contains no provisions to assist the newly unemployed. As with most of the U.S. government’s response to events of September 11th, this is yet another move to scapegoat immigrants.

Under grey skies and a cold drizzle, approximately sixty people gathered for a press conference at the Oakland International Airport at noon today. Simultaneous demonstrations took place at the airports in San Francisco and San Jose, as activists, laborers, and students from a variety of cultural backgrounds gathered to express their solidarity with immigrant airport screeners and call for an end to discrimination against non-citizens. A white tent, sequestered at an unobtrusive end of terminal two, unfortunately hid the proceedings from most airline passengers and passing traffic. Though the timing coincided with a shift change for current screeners, many of whom had reportedly intended to join the convergence, the security companies had informed their employees that “anyone who attended the conference should not show up for work again.” This blatantly illegal statement follows the January 22nd firing of Marina Neri, a four-year screener who was targeted for speaking out against unfair working conditions.

Several members of the corporate media actually put in an appearance, and T.V. cameras were rolling as an organizer from Filipinos for Affirmative Action (FAA) kicked off the event. He explained that much of the recent mobilization on behalf of the screeners has originated from within Filipino community groups, as workers at the Oakland and San Jose airports (unlike San Francisco) are not unionized, despite an on-going struggle in that direction. He noted the significance of February 19th as the first day in which companies will unleash a blizzard of pink slips, culminating in the termination of all non-citizen screeners by November 19, 2002. He then introduced Marina Neri, who spoke briefly about losing her job abruptly, having received no warning nor indication of cause. Risking his current position, a second security employee, who doubles as an airport cafeteria worker to supplement his meager wages, noted that the firings of the documented immigrants violates their “right to work in this country.”

FAA’s executive director then made an impassioned speech succinctly equating the Transportation and Aviation Act with a plant closure- an analogy that the government has failed to acknowledge. That no safety net exists for those suddenly left without any income, those who would be the most experienced candidates to perform those positions, is outrageous. “Public Safety is being sacrificed in the national hysteria to ‘do something’...airport policies needed to be changed, not the hard working people who implement those policies.” She noted that over 50,000 members of the armed forces are non-citizens, but none of them will lose their positions. (Another speaker pointed out the ironic inconsistency in the government’s so-called security measures, since a fired screener could join the military and be stationed right back at the same security check point, toting a machine gun.) “It is a mistake to scapegoat and question loyalty based on nationality,” the FAA director summarized. Speaking to ways of achieving a more sustainable ‘security’, she remarked that we “must look at our country’s role in the international arena.”

Other speakers included a photojournalist and organizer who highlighted the hypocrisy of the fact that the many immigrants who stand to suffer from the legislation will now be depended on to remain in their positions, at substandard pay, until the new batch of citizen employees have been trained. Representatives from Local 1877 SEIU, ILWU, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, and Central Labor Council of Alameda County underscored the importance of all workers standing together, with the later declaring, “There is no protection except solidarity between the workers and the community.” The Labor Committee for Peace and Justice announced an upcoming demonstration on March 23rd in downtown Oakland to contest the broad domestic repercussions of Bush’s protracted “War on terrorism.”

A speaker from Asian Pacific Islanders Coalition Against the War discussed the historical context of racist, anti-immigrant sentiment in times of crisis- particularly during economic downturn, drawing parallels to anti-Chinese legislation in the late 1800’s and the internment of Japanese-Americans (both citizens and non-citizens alike) during World War II. Many noted that despite Bush’s rhetorical cries to the contrary, the government has consistently pursued actions to malign foreign born individuals, notably eroding their legal rights, as well as their positions in the workplace. As a member of the East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy remarked, “The federal government should not be in the business of creating new victims of September 11th.”

The MC lead the crowd in several chants, with rallying cries in English, Tagalog, and Spanish, underscoring the commonality of the struggle regardless of ones nationality or cultural background. Indicating the movement’s intrinsic connection to the anti-war mobilization, he explained, “Peace and justice are not limited to the borders of the [U.S.]”. Wrapping it up, he reiterated, “If you are talking about safety, give the most experienced workers the jobs.“ Before dispersing, the energized group yelled, “Citizens, immigrants, workers rights, jobs and safety, fight, fight, fight...”