Faduma Daud is a shuttler who loves working at Hertz, but who is also fed up with lack of respect the company is showing her work

On the third floor of the rental car parking garage at SeaTac Airport, Teamsters shuttlers who work at Hertz marched on the boss to deliver a petition with a staunch message. Workers are demanding Hertz stop hurting their families and negotiate a strong contract that secures dignity and respect.

Hertz has been denying workers paid vacations and paid holidays on an arbitrary and unreasonable pretense. They have created an inequitable employee structure that treats its shuttlers as second-tier workers, even though many shuttlers work full time and frequently interact with customers at the bustling airport.

"There is a culture among management where shuttlers are looked down on. They call us "casual employees", but we work just as hard if not more than everybody else," said Nabil Amin, a Hertz employee of 8 years and a Teamsters shop steward.

Hertz refers to even full-time and long-term Teamsters who work at the company as "casual employees".  

Hertz shuttlers provide end-of-the-line service. They are the ones to drive the cars for servicing and check to make sure any last minute issues are resolved before the customer obtains the vehicle. The smooth flow of vehicles to and from the rental car facility as well as the gold standard that Hertz strives for rests on the hard work of these Teamsters.

Mohamud Essa, a shuttler who has dedicated over two decades to the company, shared his view. "I've worked at Hertz for 25 years, but the company is still not paying for my holidays. The parking garage at the airport is exposed to cold temperatures. Still, we are here every day providing excellent service to every customer. Hertz needs to show us respect by giving us a fair contract and benefits."

Despite being threatened and intimidated, Faduma (r) speaks up to the Hertz manager (l) about her demands.  

Shuttler positions are held overwhelmingly by diverse people of East African and Middle Eastern origin, and are often held by immigrant women. 

When Teamsters were gathering to deliver their petition, management tried to intimidate and bully the workers out of it, threatening them with consequences. The workers stood united and marched through the airport rental car facility carrying signs that read: Working for Hertz Hurts!

This is not the first time Hertz has tried to hurt its workers. In 2018, the company attempted to withhold upwards of 34K in worker wages. At that time, Teamsters fought back and secured backpay for all affected Hertz workers.

Teamsters are in ongoing negotiations with Hertz. After 6 months of bargaining, Hertz shuttlers will not back down from anything less than the company treating them with the respect and dignity that they deserve.

"We work all day long in a busy airport and we love our company, but they need to understand and respect us as well," concluded Fatuma Daud, a Hertz worker of 6 years and bargaining committee member.