On 8 October 2014 airline cabin cleaners at New York City's LaGuardia Airport began a 24-hour strike citing concerns over exposure to the Ebola virus. The Associated Press reported that approximately 200 Air Serv workers engaged in the 24-hour pickets, whereas the New York Post said the number was between 100 and 200.
The cabin cleaners who protested service domestic flights at LaGuardia's Terminal D. The AP said that Ebola concerns are only part of a larger effort by the workers to unionize and improve working conditions overall:
The Washington Post quoted Alberto Grant, Jr., a cleaner at neighboring John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. Grant said that workers are often ill-equipped to safely handle potentially hazardous clean ups:
In a statement issued in response to the strike, New York City's Port Authority said:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued guidelines for cabin cleaning procedures to prevent Ebola which include the use of gloves, protective eyewear, gowns, masks, and shoe covers.
Last updated: 9 October 2014