Over a thousand workers at Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston, Texas, are organized under UNITE HERE! Local 23, a national labor union representing workers in the hotel, gaming, food service, manufacturing, textile, distribution, laundry, transportation, and airport industries. The workers represented at IAH at employed at the following companies: Flik, SkyChefs, HMS Host, SSP America, and OTG Management, with nearly seven hundred workers at OTG Management alone. Zayra Santos is the union organizer assigned to work with and represent the workers and Shop Stewards at these companies.

It is being alleged that Zayra has been undermining the collective bargaining agreements between workers and employees, sabotaging the work of Shop Stewards (which includes threatening their employment and standing with the union), and ignoring or outright dismissing the concerns and needs of workers. She frequently disparages Black workers as "stupid" and "crazy," especially if they demand accountability and action from her. In just the last year, her choices and actions have cost dozens of workers their livelihoods and the stability of steady work, union health insurance, and paid time off among other benefits. Zayra is regularly acting in opposition to the principles of UNITE HERE! and the long and proud history of labor unions in America. And not only does she disrespect workers at IAH, she has also done so during campaign work in Nevada in the fall of 2024.

During her tenure as organizer at IAH, Zayra has developed no programs for worker education, no trainings for workers or Shop Stewards, no community outreach to strengthen UNITE HERE's standing in the area surrounding IAH where most workers live. There are no IAH-specific meetings, the Shop Stewards across the various companies do not have open lines of communication. Many workers do not know her or recognize her, and others have issues with her for all the reasons listed above. One federal level complaint has been filed against her with the National Labor Relations Board and more are soon to follow.

If nothing changes, Zayra will likely continue to harm workers who are both dues paying union members and those who fall under union protection. She will continue to sabotage and disparage both individual workers and Shop Stewards who are volunteers committing their time and resources to assisting their fellow workers and ensuring both workers and company management uphold the collective bargaining agreements. OTG Management itself violates the collective bargaining agreement nearly weekly and Zayra cannot be bothered to return the calls of workers whose jobs are being threatened by management, take their complaints seriously, or inform Shop Stewards of who needs help.

If Zayra is investigated and found to be unfit for her role as organizer, and someone who genuinely lives and breathes union values and possesses the fighting labor spirit is appointed instead, all workers will benefit from an organizer who cares about them and is willing to stand up to management at every turn. A highly organized workplace is possible within IAH, which would provide powerful resistance to abusive and exploitative management practices. A strong workers' rights education program and deeper ties to the community would also create massive leverage in favor of workers.

Further, four collective bargaining agreements are up for negotiation this year: Flik, HMS Host, OTG Management, and SSP America. Workers cannot at this point trust Zayra to guide this process during which workers are committing to fighting for a $23 an hour starting wage. This wage will not only improve the lives of workers and the surrounding community where they raise their families and spend their earnings but pave the way for even greater victories in future contract negotiations and the daily servicing of said contracts. We need a strong organizer who is transparent, courageous, and capable of supporting workers in this monumental contract fight and beyond. Educated, organized workers are unstoppable, and IAH needs a union organizer dedicated to teaching workers about their power and how to wield it.

We workers at IAH DEMAND that UNITE HERE! Local 23 ACT NOW to investigate union organizer Zayra Santos for pervasive and chronic misconduct.

We workers at IAH DEMAND that UNITE HERE! Local 23 ACT NOW to provide relief and remedy to this situation.

We workers at IAH DEMAND that UNITE HERE! Local 23 ACT NOW to ensure the workers are educated and organized going into a major contract fight.

We workers at IAH DEMAND that UNITE HERE! Local 23 ACT NOW to acknowledge the respect and dignity of workers harmed by Zayra and her actions.

We workers at IAH DEMAND that UNITE HERE! Local 23 ACT NOW to rebuild the trust of workers in our union.