'Unions for All' marchers gather outside LAX
LOS ANGELES - People traveling to Los Angeles International Airport Wednesday should give themselves extra time to navigate potentially clogged streets due to a planned union march that organizers claim will attract more than 1,500 people.
Airport employees, Uber and Lyft drivers and other Southland workers marched at 10 a.m. to demand that elected officials pledge their support for the "Unions for All" movement.
The march started at the intersection of Century Boulevard and Avion Drive, the procession then made its way into the Central Terminal Area.
Los Angeles World Airports officials said the demonstration was not expected to affect any flight operations, but at least two lanes of westbound Century Boulevard were expected to be closed between Airport and Sepulveda boulevards. Motorists were advised to use alternate routes, such as Sepulveda Boulevard and Westchester Parkway.
Additional traffic officers and Airport Police officers were on hand, airport officials said. The march was expected to last until about 1 p.m.
Among the dignitaries expected to join the marchers were presidential hopeful and California Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, former state Sen. Kevin de Leon and Mary Kay Henry, president of the Service Employees International Union.
According to SEIU officials, the march will send the message that employees in the airline, ride-hailing, childcare and other industries who help make corporations successful are struggling to afford rent and basic necessities. Organizers said they will call for a commitment from elected officials and political candidates to give "everyone the opportunity to have a union."
The march will also voice support for newly signed state legislation that makes it more difficult for employers to designate workers as independent contractors, making them essentially ineligible for benefits. Uber and Lyft officials strongly opposed the measure and have indicated they hope to find exemptions to the law, which goes into effect in January.
Wednesday's march comes one day before the Unions for All summit, which is scheduled for Thursday through Sunday at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites in Los Angeles. SEIU members from around the county are expected to attend.
The summit is scheduled to feature discussions with Democratic presidential candidates, including Harris, former Vice President Joe Biden, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg.