Union accusing Sky Chefs, food providers to airlines, of shorting overtime pay

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A catering-employees union accused one of the food providers to the airlines of shorting their checks when it comes to overtime pay.

A few members of Local 11, the union that represents catering employees at Los Angeles International Airport, rallied outside terminal four to announce that the union has filed a class action lawsuit against Sky Chefs.

Sky Chefs is one of the larger airline food-services providers at LAX. The lawsuit claims employees are not paid their full overtime wages.

The lawsuit was filed Wednesday morning. One of the employees said that while the catering company pays the minimum living wage required by the city of Los Angeles, there are overtime pay issues that have been going on for a long time.

"We need a normal salary, we need benefits...the checks are not (correct)...workers with no insurance have to go to work sick....we need help...this has happened for too many years," said Norma Espinosa, airport worker.

According to the union attorney, Sky Chefs has 30 days to respond to the lawsuit.

Union workers do not plan to stop working during the holiday season, but they do plan to hold another rally next Friday.

As of this report, Eyewitness News hadn't heard back from the catering company.