Sea-Tac Airport food service workers the latest coronavirus layoffs

HMSHost, which runs food retail and restaurants at airports across the U.S., has laid off 354 employees at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, as the aviation industry grapples with grounded flights due to the coronavirus’s clamp on everyday movement.

The food-service company also laid off 71 workers at Spokane International Airport.

The state Employment Security Department issued a formal WARN announcement — Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification — on Wednesday shortly before 11 a.m. The formal date of separation at both airports is listed as March 18.

According to the notices, which come the day after the Sea-Tac Airport reported that a TSA agent tested positive for COVID-19, the layoffs are expected to be temporary.

Because restaurants at the airport must adhere to the same dine-in closure as other eateries, many have closed until the situation improves. About 20 outlets, including Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, Capitol Hill Food Hall and Poke to the Max, remain open for grab-and-go and carryout.

The News Tribune was unable to reach HMSHost for comment. Perry Cooper, media relations senior manager for the Port of Seattle, said via email that “all of the airport tenants are struggling, just like the entire region’s businesses.”

Passenger boarding levels at Sea-Tac this month have fallen as much as 80 percent in a single day and are down more than 50 percent overall, Cooper said. On an average spring day, 50,000 passengers board flights. Lately, only 8,000 have. More than 320 international flights have been cancelled this month alone, plus another 540 already cut in April.

The Port of Seattle met Tuesday with tenants, who reported sales drops that mirror passenger numbers, to discuss how to move forward, though details are pending.

Typically, employers planning a mass layoff must notify the state’s labor department and the workers 60 days before the planned date of termination. Exceptions include economic crisis, which the coronavirus pandemic has undoubtedly imposed upon travel, hospitality and countless other industries.

Hotels throughout the region also have announced layoffs in the past few days. In Seattle, the Crowne Plaza announced 70 layoffs as of March 19 and the Edgewater Hotel 227 as of March 22. In Des Moines, the Four Points by Sheraton laid off 60 workers as of March 23.

Companies that supply linens, such as tablecloths and napkins, to area restaurants have announced layoffs this week, including Service Linen in Renton (106 workers) and Harbor Foodservice of Seattle (200 workers).

All are expected to be temporary, but there is no guarantee of rehire. This formal separation allows workers to apply for unemployment benefits, which have skyrocketed in the past two weeks as millions of Americans in dozens of states bear the brunt of the pandemic’s economic halt.

This story was originally published March 25, 2020 at 12:45 PM.