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Kip Hedges, the Delta baggage handler fired for speaking out on behalf of low-wage airport workers, has reached a settlement with Delta Air Lines in his wrongful termination lawsuit.
The terms of the settlement, which was filed Aug. 13 in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, were not disclosed. While not able to provide details, Hedges said, “I’m very happy with the settlement. I thank everyone for standing with me.” He said he will not be returning to work at the airline.
Messages of support and donations poured in after Delta fired Hedges in December for remarks he made in a video for Workday Minnesota.
“A lot of the Delta workers make under $15 an hour, as a matter of fact, I would probably say close to half make under $15 an hour,” Hedges said in the video. “So, there’s a lot of them that understand how important this is, and a lot of the better-paid workers also understand that the bottom has to be raised, otherwise the top is going to fall as well.”
The airline said his remarks, made at a rally outside of work hours, violated “company performance and conduct standards.”
Congressman Keith Ellison, who represents the 5th District including Minneapolis, was among those who called for Hedges’ immediate reinstatement.
“The firing of Delta baggage handler Kip Hedges for organizing to raise airport worker wages was wrong,” Ellison said when asked to comment on the settlement. “Working Americans shouldn’t be intimidated for joining together to demand better working conditions. We cannot address growing income inequality without empowering working families and protecting them from retaliation. I applaud the airport workers for their courage in fighting to raise their wages and to give workers a seat at the negotiating table.”
Activists from several organizations said Hedges’ case highlights the many challenges facing workers today – including the lack of free speech in the workplace and the need for union representation. Although he will no longer be an airline employee, they expect him to continue to be involved in efforts to improve wages and conditions for workers at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and elsewhere.
“People are very happy he was able to get justice by getting a settlement,” said Dan McCurdy, former shop committee steward for the Machinists at Delta and current union activist.
“People still look at Kip as a leader” in the effort to restore union representation at the airline, he said.
The firing of Hedges – a 26-year employee and known activist – had a galvanizing effect on other workers, McCurdy said. “It’s opened new eyes. People are signing cards” for union representation.
Hedges also has been a leader in the 15Now movement to institute a $15-an-hour minimum wage at the airport and, more recently, in the city of Minneapolis. In the months since his firing, the Metropolitan Airports Commission adopted a paid sick leave requirement and a $10 minimum wage for companies operating at the airport.
“I think his firing had a big impact” on the campaign, said Ginger Jentzen, an organizer for 15Now. “He is a good example for other workers that when you collectively organize and stand up for your rights and what you can believe in, the rest of the movement will back you.”
The Machinists union supported Hedges in his lawsuit, filed May 28 after he exhausted the airline’s internal appeal process. While he pursued his case, he appeared at numerous rallies and other events, including addressing the Metropolitan Airports Commission.
Hedges drew attention to the issues that workers face every day, said Ron Harris, community organizer for Neighborhoods Organizing for Change, another member of the coalition working for a $15 minimum wage, a nationwide movement that has seen success in several U.S. cities.
“Kip is unabashedly honest,” Harris said. “He somebody who isn’t afraid to say what needed to be said . . . He’s also really talented at bringing new people into the process, regular folks who can contribute to the conversation.”
The firing of Hedges “didn’t kill anything,” noted Jentzen of 15Now. “It only strengthens the resolve of a lot of workers to do a lot more and keep going.”