Airport workers are wrapping safety and jobs in a bundle in a union push regarding airlines and contractors at Denver International Airport.

A University of California-Berkeley white paper released Wednesday by Service Employees International Union Local 105 assailed the cost of awarding airport contracts to low-paying employers with high turnover.

The report found that fewer than half of about 2,700 passenger service workers surveyed at DIA were trained in emergency response and evacuation, and 67 percent said they had been on the job a year or less.

In addition to more safety training, the union also is campaigning for  workers to be “paid livable wages that will keep experienced workers on the job.” The report cites $15 an hour.

The reports cites data that indicates direct employment by U.S.-based airlines has fallen 20 percent, while outsourced jobs has risen by 37 percent.

“There is a strong body of research linking low wages with high employee turnover and poor performance, especially regarding security,” the report states. “One group disproportionately impacted as airlines have moved to a widespread outsourcing of many front-line positions at our nation’s airports has been passengers with disabilities. Positions for wheelchair attendants have been outsourced across the country, including at DEN. And, contrary to some job types, the number of complaints related to service to passengers with disabilities is routinely tracked, allowing us to see the sharp rise in the number of complaints.”

The DIA survey on training and emergency reposne indicates the Denver’s aiport falls well short of the goal of the 2015 Gerardo Hernandez Airport Security Act. The law is named for a security agent killed in a shooting rampage at Los Angeles International Airport in 2013, which also left three others injured.

Heath Montgomery, a spokesman for DIA, said the airport is reviewing the paper, but the issue addressed in it relates primarily to airlines, contractors and their employees.

“For the airport’s part, I can tell you that we hold routine trainings for a variety of potential threats,” he said. “We conduct regular full-scale exercises as well as annual tabletop and online exercises focusing on a variety of aircraft or airport emergency scenarios. We also work to get key information to the tens of thousands of other employees who are not directly employed by the airport.”

A panel organized by the union spoke to some Denver City Council members about their concerns and held a press conference about the paper outside the City and County Building Wednesday.

“Travelers expect that airlines will keep them safe from the moment they check in to when they land,” LaPonda Fitchpatrick, a retired captain from LAX police department, said in a statement. “Passenger service personnel are in constant contact with these travelers. They should be an integral part of any emergency response planning.”

The panel also included Oscar Antonio, a member of the SEIU’s United Service Workers West, who was on the job during the LAX shooting.

“We are the eyes and ears of the sixth busiest airport in the country. We are in and around the entire airport. With the proper training, we could help travelers in an emergency,” Said Ahmed, who is a cabin cleaner for Primeflight at DIA, stated.

The Denver-based union cited other cities and airports that had forced employers to raise wages, which cut turnover.

“Our research shows that when airport workers are paid higher wages, turnover goes down and work performance improves, leading to a safer and more secure airport,” said Ken Jacobs, chair of the Labor Center at UC Berkeley.