US: New York, New Jersey airport workers to see wage hikes

Workers at New York-area airports will see their wages nearly double after the agency that operates the airports approved a series of hikes through 2023, bringing to a close years of protests. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey voted unanimously to raise the hourly minimum wage for workers at its airports from $10.45 to $19. The increases will directly impact roughly 20,000 of the 70,000 workers at LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy and Newark Liberty International airports who make minimum wage and perform tasks such as cleaning planes, moving baggage, operating concession stands and providing security, officials said. Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton called it "a great day for airport workers striving for economic justice." Dozens of airport workers have attended monthly Port Authority board meetings for several years, occasionally engaging in boisterous demonstrations over wages.<br/>