Looking for significant improvements to their working conditions, better training and the right to unionize, security officers at JFK Airport are expected to vote on a potential strike tomorrow and Friday. And if they do vote to strike they'll be starting on December 20th—which just happens to be the seventh anniversary of the 2005 Transit Strike. Because if there is one thing that really gets popular support it's striking around the holidays, right?

The 300 workers potentially striking are employed by the companies Air Serv and Global Elite. According to organizers, workers claim both companies have tried to silence their numerous complaints to the TSA regarding "systemic lapses in security standards, including shoddy equipment, rushed searches and lack of training that endangers the flying public."

One example? They say many workers have to use their own cell phones for communication because they haven't been provided with two-way radios. And their complaints go on! "They also claim the low pay and lack of benefits threatens security by increasing turnover to unacceptable levels, and that the companies have enacted illegal policies ordering them not to talk about their working conditions." They also say the companies have violated the Railway Labor Act "by intimidating them and interfering with their organizing efforts." Air Serve employees will vote on a strike Thursday and Global Elite workers will vote Friday. The 32BJ SEIU union is helping them organize.

So then what? It is not entirely clear what will happen if the security guards, who are paid about $8 an hour, do in fact strike. Though company managers could replace some of them, as could Port Authority cops, existing rules could limit what they can do. Further, getting replacement workers the 'Secure Identity Display Areas' credentials they would need to act as scabs may not be possible as those can take weeks to obtain.

If the workers strike, planes would stay on the ground much longer, throwing off schedules and causing delays at destination cities. On the ground, the confusion could make it difficult for travelers to get to their gates.

Neither company has yet responded to our request for comment, but both issued statements. From Air Serv:

We understand that a labor union is seeking over a period of time to organize workers from companies that work at JFK. We have no comment on that effort.


And from Global Elite:

Global Elite Group will be looking into these recent union activities and to date we have not received any petition from employees. Global Elite Group believes this is part of a larger ploy by the service workers' union to generate public and governmental support for its efforts to unionize our employees.