SFO food and beverage workers picket at terminals; supervisors push airport and operators to resolve contract, health-care disputes

San Francisco ' Food-and-beverage workers at San Francisco International Airport walked off the job Sept. 26 and picketed terminals into Sept. 27, telling the Board of Supervisors they need higher pay, reliable family health care and enforceable pension commitments; airport officials and concession operators asked for time to narrow contractual differences.

Why it matters: SFO is a major local employer and a key economic gateway for the city. A protracted strike has immediate effects on concessions customers and revenue and highlights broader questions about contract terms contained in leases the city approves for airport businesses.

What workers told supervisors

At a committee-of-the-whole hearing Sept. 27, multiple workers described stacked shifts, second jobs and exhaustion. "I'm striking because I haven't gotten a raise since February 2018," bartender Gabriela Matos told supervisors. "If I had to pay out of pocket for all the health care, I'd lose my house."

Lucinda Cho, a worker who said she commutes a long distance to cover two shifts, said she often sleeps in her car between assignments. "One job should be enough," she said. "I work five a.m. to 1 p.m., then I work again from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. I have very little time to rest."

Union, employer and airport-position summaries

- Unite Here Local 2: The union said its members seek modest wage increases, caps on caseloads, secure family health coverage and retirement benefits. It said staff shortages and low pay contributed to the workforce gap in behavioral-health and service industries. - Multi-Employer Group (operators): Kevin Wesley said concessions are facing a pricing squeeze because airport surcharges and street pricing rules have not kept up with rising costs. He proposed modernizing the airport's street-pricing policy to allow higher markups so operators can pay higher wage and benefit costs. - Airport: Director Ivar Sattero said the airport was caught off-guard by the number of nonunion operators that had emerged in recent years, and described the card-check and labor-peace processes that are written into leases. The airport said it would host a meeting the next day to press both sides to find a resolution.

Leases, labor peace and the core dispute

Airport staff and union representatives described a complex dynamic: many airport leases include a card-check or labor-peace obligation that should give employees a clear path to union recognition and then to collective bargaining; nevertheless, the city and the union told supervisors that some new operators arrived without an understanding of those obligations or have resisted unionization. The union says operators refused to provide the family-health contributions the union seeks; operators say pricing rules and competition constrain them. The group representing operators said that local-and-street pricing surcharges effectively leave concessions with narrower margins than peers at other large airports and cited LAX and San Diego examples.

Board reaction and next steps

Supervisors expressed strong support for workers and warned that the city's role as landlord gives it leverage. "We are the landlord," Supervisor Connie Chan said. "We will deny lease extensions or modifications if the employer will not meet its obligations." Several supervisors urged the airport to move quickly to convene bargaining. Director Sattero told the board he had invited the parties to meet the next afternoon and said the airport would offer administrative support.

Ending

The strike and the hearing underscored a broader set of policy questions the city faces as it seeks to balance tourism and airport revenue with living wages and benefits for essential workers. Supervisors asked staff to provide lease and expiration data for airport concessions and said they would closely review future lease approvals until the labor issues are resolved.