There could be plenty of airmen walking around Buckley Air Force Base with shaggy dos in the coming days.
That’s because eight of the nine barbers who service the base went on strike today, saying San Francisco-based Gino Morena Enterprises, the private company that contracts for the hair cuts, is asking for yet another cut in their pay.
The barbers say the contractor wants to slash their commission to 55 percent from 60 percent, after they cut it from 70 percent a few years ago.
At 10 bucks a cut, that’s a big chop in their commission, which is all the pay they get.
“These are really courageous women, many of them single moms raising a family,” said Mark Belkin, spokesman for the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7, the union that represents the barbers. “These women have such a good relationship with the airmen … on the base. They see them almost as family.”
Eight of the nine barbers — all women — and Local 7 members picketed outside of the base today. As passersby honked in support of the strike, the strikers yelled back, “No cuts. No cuts.”
There was a buzz in the air outside the base, to be sure.
Barber Lora Villa has cut hair on the base for seven years. She takes home about $800 every two weeks and says another pay cut would be too much, so that’s why she took to the street.
“He’s just taking from me,” Villa said of Gino Morena Enterprises. “I have family. I’m raising a couple of grandkids.”
A call to Gino Morena Enterprises was not returned.
There are about 13,000 military and civilians who work at Buckley. Base spokesman John Spann said some airmen get their hair cut off base anyway, so that is always an option for others if the strike lasts a long time.
Carlos Illescas: 303-954-1175 or cillescas@denverpost.com
