30 Wheelchair Attendants to Receive $11,000 in Back Pay

BOSTON, MA--The Massachusetts Attorney General has cited Huntleigh USA, a contractor that provides passenger services for airlines at Logan International Airport, for failure to pay state minimum wage" to its wheelchair attendants over the course of two years.

The Attorney General's Office began an investigation after several Huntleigh USA wheelchair attendants came forward this year alleging that they were being paid only $7.50 an hour, fifty cents less than the minimum required by state law, and were not making enough in tips to make up the difference.

On July 23, 2012, the Attorney General issued a $2,500 civil penalty and ordered Huntleigh USA to pay $11,185.85 in restitution to thirty workers who were underpaid between April 2010, and May 2012.

"I'm thrilled that we were able to get back the money we were owed," said Janeth Quiroz, a former Huntleigh USA employee who was the first of several employees to file complaints this year. "I will be able to pay my rent this month and maybe buy some medical supplies for my mom who suffers from osteoporosis."

Wheelchair attendants, baggage handlers, cabin cleaners, ticket checkers, and other workers play a vital role ensuring the safety and comfort of the nearly 80,000 people who pass through Logan Airport each day. But airlines have increasingly outsourced their customer service responsibilities in recent years--resulting in plummeting wages and benefits for workers as contractors compete against each other to cut costs. A Huntleigh USA memo sent to its wheelchair agents in September 2010 cited "on-going cost reduction efforts" as the reason for cutting their hourly pay from $8.00 to $7.50.

The citation comes at a time when hundreds of airport workers at Logan are organizing with SEIU Local 615 and a coalition of community organizations to improve standards and working conditions in the airline service industry.

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