Worker protests lead to holiday chaos for travelers Los Angeles airport

Holiday travelers heading to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) faced serious disruption as hundreds of protesters blocked the road outside during one of the busiest travel periods of the year, according to reports.

The demonstrations brought traffic outside the airport’s main building to a halt, forcing people to abandon their cars and walk to the airport to catch their flights on time. FOX 11.

On Tuesday, they marched on Century Boulevard, blocking a major entrance to the airport and shutting down traffic around LAX’s main pickup and drop-off areas.

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Shortly after 6:15 p.m., riot police arrived and cleared the intersection, allowing traffic to slowly resume.

Fox News reported that another protest broke out at Terminal 7 on Wednesday morning, involving workers from the USWW, the nation’s largest union for security guards.

At the center of the protest outside the airport is an escalating labor dispute with Flying Food Group, one of LAX’s largest airline catering contractors.

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Protesters blocked an intersection near Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Tuesday. (KTTV)

Unite Here Local 11 and Flying Food Group workers are demanding a new contract with higher wages amid raising safety and labor concerns.

“Honestly, people don’t care about the people who cook the food and put it on their plates,” said Susan Minato, co-president of Unite Here Local 11.

“We wanted to make a statement,” he told FOX 11.

AIRLINES CANCELED FLIGHTS BECAUSE THEY EXPERIENCED ‘MAJOR INTERRUPTIONS’ AT AIRPORTS DUE TO PROTESTS AND STRIKES

Protesters stood at an intersection near Los Angeles International Airport on Tuesday. (KTTV)

Minato acknowledged the glitch but defended the timing, arguing that the shows were necessary to attract attention during peak travel periods.

“It’s a busy time of year, there’s no doubt about it,” he said. “But it’s also a way to get some attention,” he told the outlet.

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Earlier this year, the union successfully pushed for a city ordinance that would raise the minimum wage for hotel and airport workers to $30 by 2028.

While the protests, which continued through Wednesday, are not expected to impede vehicle access, the New York Post reported that police are still bracing for disruption due to the busy schedule of holiday travel.