On Friday, March 15, nearly 100 workers and community members picketed at the San Jose Airport. They were protesting the Hudson News company, which employs over 40 union members at the airport. Unite Here! Local 19, which represents those members, has been negotiating with the company for 19 months without reaching an agreement for a first contract.  The Hudson employees are demanding a fair contract that includes good health care coverage.

Herminia Pecho, a Hudson retail sales associate, said

The company said they only want to make money, not share it with us. That's why they are unwilling to provide us health care as good as the other two union employers at San Jose Airport, HMS Host and Areas.  But we are the ones doing all the work for them to have clean stores and happy customers. What we want is equality.

According to Vanessa Anchondo, another retail sales associate:

We need affordable healthcare. We want to be able to afford surgery or other medical procedures and cover our families. Right now, it costs $340 per month for family health care, and Hudson wants us to pay even more.

Hudson employees have gone to management several times to ask them to negotiate a fair contract, but management has not met with the union to negotiate since last April, nearly one year ago. The workers say they are willing to do whatever it takes to get a fair contract. Learn more and show your support for the workers by “liking” UNITE HERE! local 19 on Facebook.