NEWTON – In a significant union development, UNITE HERE Local 26 today announced its endorsement of Ed Markey for re-election to the United States Senate.

“We are proud to endorse Senator Ed Markey in his re-election campaign as one of our two Senators from Massachusetts,” said UNITE HERE Local 26 President Brian Lang. “He has been a champion of working people in the streets and in our nation’s capital. Senator Markey stands with us in our campaign for a green, livable planet where one job is enough to take care of our families. We stand with him as our Senator!”

UNITE HERE Local 26 is the hospitality workers’ union and represents more than 12,000 members working in the hotel, food service, and airport industries in Boston and Rhode Island.

“I am incredibly grateful to have the endorsement of UNITE HERE Local 26 workers,” Senator Ed Markey said. “As big corporations have increasingly declared war on our unions, choosing shareholder interests over employee rights, Local 26 has never been afraid to stand up and fight back for the working families across the Commonwealth. I was proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with workers on the picket line at the Battery Wharf Hotel this fall, and it is a privilege to stand with Local 26 once again at Logan Airport this week. Together, we will continue to demand fair wages, affordable healthcare, and dignified work for every person.”

Senator Markey stood with Local 26 airline catering workers for a rally on Friday afternoon at Logan Airport to call on LSG Sky Chefs to provide fair wages and affordable healthcare for its employees.

American Airlines reported $1.7 billion in net income in 2019. Yet, subcontracted airline catering workers who provide food and beverages served aboard American’s flights at Boston’s Logan Airport and around the country remain stuck in poverty.

Contracted catering workers at Boston’s Logan Airport prepare American’s first-class meals and ensure its flights are properly stocked for on-time departures, but only 38 percent of workers at LSG Sky Chefs at Logan had employer-provided healthcare in 2018, and only 10 percent covered any dependents. Almost 50 percent of workers make below $15 per hour.

As the son of a union leader, Senator Markey fights for the rights of union workers across the Commonwealth and nation. This winter, he stood with UNITE HERE Local 26 workers as they walked the picket line at the Battery Wharf Hotel in Boston.

The union’s endorsement follows the announcement of support from several major progressive groups, including the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, NARAL Pro-Choice, the NRDC Action Fund, and Peace Action.

Senator Markey has served in the United States Senate since winning the special election in 2013 and has amassed a deep record on environmental, climate, gun safety, and consumer protection issues. His leadership has led to the expansion of opioid recovery and treatment services, strengthening online privacy laws, and historic investments in medical and health research. Raised in Malden, Ed Markey has always stood up for the priorities of Massachusetts.

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