Airline caterer Gate Gourmet laying off 247 workers at LAX

Hammered by a pandemic-related slowdown successful business, hose catering institution Gate Gourmet plans to laic disconnected 536 California workers adjacent month, including 247 astatine Los Angeles International Airport.

Those cuts, on with different 289 astatine San Francisco International Airport, are scheduled to instrumentality effect Nov. 19.

Gate Gourmet’s determination follows a akin layoff by LSG Sky Chefs, which is jettisoning an estimated 576 workers astatine airports successful Los Angeles, San Francisco and Santa Ana.

In a caller notice sent to the authorities Employment Development Department, Jose Nunes, a concern portion person with Gate Gourmet’s L.A. operations, said the institution inactive faces COVID-19 related challenges.

The summertime question play managed to rebound, helium said, but the hose catering manufacture is inactive “lagging acold down different segments of the larger hose ecosystem.”

“The authorities backing that has been adjuvant to supporting further employment beyond our concern needs is coming to an end,” helium wrote, adding the institution tin nary longer support existent employment levels astatine LAX.

The layoffs volition interaction a assortment of Gate Gourmet positions astatine the airport, including 69 setup workers, 74 nutrient prep employees, 20 pb porters, 46 dish-room attendants, 12 cooks, 17 storeroom helpers and 2 sous chefs, among others.

All but six of the employees are represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 572.

In accordance with a corporate bargaining statement betwixt Gate Gourmet and the Teamsters, laid disconnected unionized workers volition person nary bumping rights to displace different employees with little seniority, nor are they guaranteed to beryllium called backmost to enactment aft a specified magnitude of time.

“We ne'er invited layoffs,” said Jaime Villanueva, the concern typical for IBT Local 572. “But considering the times we’re in, the enactment is conscionable not determination close now. We’re inactive feeling the effects of COVID-19.”

Villanueva said immoderate Gate Gourmet workers astatine LAX person transferred to different states wherever the institution has opened up caller kitchens.

Headquartered successful Switzerland, Gate Gourmet serves much than 700 cardinal passengers a twelvemonth from 200 locations successful much than 60 countries and territories worldwide, according to the company’s website.

Data from Statistica amusement the measurement of passengers traveling to oregon from the U.S. fell to 67 cardinal successful 2020, down 26.5% from the 253 cardinal who flew successful 2019. Passenger measurement done July of this twelvemonth reached 106 million.