'Historic Day': After Years-Long Battle, Newark Airport Workers Get Wage Hike

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NEWARK, N.J. (CBS/AP) — A major victory for workers at New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport.

Thursday, the Port Authority of New Jersey and New York voted in favor of pay increases.

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Workers at Newark, JFK, and LaGuardia airports will see their wages hiked to $19 per hour by 2023.

Right now, many employees including baggage handlers make between $10 and $11 per hour. Airport workers have attended monthly board meetings for several years, often giving emotional accounts of their struggles and occasionally conducting boisterous street rallies.

Port Authority Chairman Kevin O'Toole called the vote "an historic day" and said it "will not only make a difference in the lives of airport workers but will enhance security and improve customer service at all of our facilities."

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According to the Port Authority's report, about 20 percent of airport workers are forced to rely on public assistance to augment their incomes.

The first pay increases are set to go into effect on Nov. 1.

(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)