Cargo workers at Denver International Airport strike due to unsafe working conditions

DENVER, Colo. (KRDO) -- Swissport cargo workers at Denver International Airport are on strike today over unsafe working conditions.

The cargo workers handle freight and packages delivered through DIA, say the company refuses to address their concerns with the current working conditions. The strike, which began on December 10, will go through Monday, December 11.

The striking Swissport workers are expected to rally at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, December 11, outside the Main Terminal on Level 5 in the plaza by the Westin Hotel. Cargo workers will be joined at the rally by other airport workers, community members, and elected officials supporting their fight for safer working conditions.

“I’ve just seen too many of my coworkers get hurt and be put in dangerous situations at work over the past year. We’ve delivered petitions, filed multiple OSHA complaints, and Swissport has refused to address the real safety concerns that are putting our lives at risk on the job.”  

Andrew Guttman, Swissport Cargo Agent

Workers cite faulty and broken equipment, dangerous working temperatures at facilities, and inadequate safety training as some of the key reason for the strike.

Earlier this year, Swissport workers at DIA alleged a warehouse fire broke out after a loading truck struck a floor heating machine that was exposed without any protections in place. And these issues aren’t just happening in Denver. Across the country, these workers have been raising the alarms on the unsafe working conditions faced and demanding safety on the job, while also demanding living wages and benefits.