Airport Workers Say Pay Is Illegally Low

[marmar]

CHICAGO, Ill. -- Every day she goes to work at O'Hare International Airport, Elda Burke faces the same dilemma.

Burke, 30, works as a passenger attendant at the airport, escorting the elderly and disabled to and from their gates by wheelchair. Even though the airlines describe this as a free service, Burke's employer has her working partly for tips, which is why her base pay is a low $6.50 an hour, somewhat like a restaurant server's, rather than the typical Illinois minimum wage of $8.25.

But unlike diners at a restaurant, many of the passengers Burke will be escorting on their holiday travels this week won't realize she's working for tips -- and by federal law, she won't be allowed to tell them.

"We cannot say anything," Burke says. "If we do that, they can fire us." .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/23/airport-workers-tips_n_1082307.html

[Dennis Donovan]

1. I've known several SkyCaps - each one made a decent living at it...

HOWEVER... that was 20 years ago. My guess is it's changed.;-)

[marmar]

3. With the advent of self check-in machines, I don't see nearly as many people....

..... checking in with skycaps these days.

[redqueen]

2. Wow, that is horrible.

They want to pay workers less, but not inconvenience the airline's customers. :mad:

[rfranklin]

4. I really did no know that they are working for tips...

and its especially criminal that they are not allowed to tell you.

[DJ13]

6. Many hotel maids also get near minimum, with employers expecting they get tips

Thats another occupation thats underpaid for the work they are expected to do.

[Obamanaut]

5. Do these employees have knowledge of the wage scale when they are hired?

And that tips are expected to supplement that wage?

[rfranklin]

7. They are probably told, "You can make $100 a day just in tips..."

A lot like my first job in publishing were one low-level guy who had been with the company for 40 years retired with $250,000. However, that scenario (which I am sure they knew) was impossible since he had been there since the company started and the stock was about 2 cents per share (inflation adjusted.)

[pnwmom]

8. They should be. And also that the Federal govt taxes them on a certain % as tips

whether they make it or not! The govt a long time ago decided that tips were being underreported, so they "solved" the problem by taxing an amount they assumed every employee should be getting, whether s/he actually did or not.

[SomethingFishy]

9. So what if they do? If the customers don't know they work for tips

it doesn't matter what the employer tells them.

Really? You are going to blame the person for taking the job? Real nice.