Royal Airlines Laundry workers fight for union
BY LISA POTASH
AND LISA-MARIE ROTTACH
CHICAGO--Workers at Royal Airlines Laundry here are fighting for recognition of the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE). Royal has two plants in the Chicago area, as well as laundries in four other cities around the country.
Royal, an industrial laundry, has contracts with United, Delta, and several other airlines, cleaning their napkins and other fabrics used in passenger service. UNITE has held two rallies to support the workers, fight at Royal, including two at the O'Hare airport here, reaching out to airline workers and passengers.
The starting wage at the Royal laundries in the Chicago area is $5.15 per hour, the legal minimum.
Workers leaving day shift told Militant reporters that the main issue driving their interest in UNITE is winning a higher wage. They reported that most of the 55 workers support the union, and that union supporters are hosting individual house meetings to discuss why it's important to win union recognition and how to advance the fight.
Lisa Potash and Lisa-Marie Rottach are sewing machine operators and members of UNITE in the Chicago area. Potash is the Socialist Workers candidate for U.S. Congress in the 5th District.
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