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HMSHost Says It Will Fire 782 Furloughed Workers on October 15

Photo: Danielle Prieur
Photo: Danielle Prieur

Orlando International Airport workers and state and local leaders protested a concessionaire’s decision to fire hundreds of furloughed workers next month. 

HMSHost sent a letter to 782 furloughed concessions workers that their positions would be terminated as of October 15 because of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Congressman Darren Soto was on the picket line with the workers outside Terminal A. 

He said he’s returning to Washington this week to hopefully pass another coronavirus relief package that would help these workers. 

“Money will flow then through the airport, and to the airlines, and to vendors around the airport. And we need to make sure when that happens, workers are being rehired on.”

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Maria Gonzalez was a cashier at Sbarro. She says she misses her customers and just wants her job back. 

"And that's why we're doing this. We’re trying to secure our jobs. We don’t want to lose our jobs. We want to go back to work when flights increases."

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HMSHost has received more than 7 million dollars in federal relief from the airport. 
If you'd like to listen to this story, click on the clips above.

Danielle Prieur covers education in Central Florida.