SACRAMENTO-
Thousands of fliers start their trip in the economy lot at Sacramento International Airport.
They’ve quickly been able to navigate to the nearest spot there, thanks to help from ABM parking workers – workers who won’t be there next time thanks to layoffs.
“I’m sorry for them and it’s going to be less convenient for us,” Nona Smith, of Mendocino, said Tuesday.
“You’re there to present a good face for the airport to make people feel welcome, to make them feel like it’s going to be be a good trip right from the start, and they apparently don’t want that anymore,” former ABM staffer Keith Warkentine said.
For him, ‘anymore’ started about two weeks ago.
Since the first of about 70 jobs were eliminated, several workers who have contacted FOX40 have been too afraid to go on camera to talk about what they claim are contract violations and an unfair layoff.
Their contract breach claims include short termination notice and other unions stepping in to do eliminated jobs like trash pick up in the lots.
“They’re having the county do it, which is… we have a contract to do it and I don’t see how another union can take that over. I have an issue with that. A big issue,” Warkentine said. “They cut 30, 35 percent. They cut many full-time shifts, which means people are losing benefits which it’s just, you know, to me it’s just shameful.”
According to a statement from airport managers, all vendors have been asked to make a 15 percent cut to help the facility deal with passenger traffic that’s dropped 20 percent in 7 years and to cope with $1 billion worth of Terminal B debt.
Why have the cuts been twice as much at ABM?
Warkentine says he can’t get an answer.And in repeated attempts, neither could FOX40.
Managers here say cutbacks won’t affect customer service, but this particular worker can’t see how that’s possible, getting so upset at the end of our interview that Warkentine decided like his message, his face shouldn’t be hidden. He originally agreed to speak with FOX40 under the condition on anonymity.
“How are you going to help the airport by making the local economy worse? You lay people off, they don’t buy things. Businesses don’t make money, they don’t fly,” Warkentine said.
ABM has not responded to FOX40’s request for comment and neither has Teamsters Local 150, which represents these workers.
Airport managers dispute claims by former ABM employee workers that they were paid to do trash pick up in the lots.
They said via statement that the Department of Airports is and has been responsible for that.
