LOS ANGELES — A union representing 2,500 service workers at Los Angeles International Airport has voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike, said union officials.

The workers include sky captains, baggage handlers, wheelchair attendants, airplane cabin cleaners and security personnel who monitor terminals and cargo areas, said Mike Chavez, a spokesman for Airport Workers United, which is part of Service Employees International Union Local 1877.

Workers are asking for better job training, increased pay, improved medical coverage, equipment and staff support. Chavez said workers are paid an average of $10 an hour and 97 percent have no family healthcare. As a result, job turnover rate has gone up to 50 percent in some cases, he said.

"It's really driving a race to the bottom in terms of service and safety standards," he said.

The 95 percent approval vote gives union negotiators the go-ahead to call a strike at any time, Chavez said. The union has been in talks with airline subcontractors, who hire for the service jobs, since July.

"The really important point here is the airlines have a really crucial role to play and we've been frustrated that they're not taking any sort of leadership role, that they're not standing up for passenger service and passenger security," he said.

The contractors include Aero Port Services, Air Serv, American Building Maintenance, Aviation Safeguards, Lee's Maintenance, One Source, Service Performance, World Service and G2 Secure Staff. They could not be reached for comment.

American Airlines spokesman Tim Wagner said the airline has a contract with G2 Secure Staff to provide cleaning services.

"We simply contract with G2, and the ongoing labor negotiations are between G2 and its employees," Wagner said. "We respect that process, and we will not interfere with their process."

United Airlines contracts with Air Serv for wheelchair attendants, said spokeswoman Megan McCarthy.

"These are their employees," McCarthy said. "Our focus is on our customers ... and we're going to make sure that whatever happens our customers are not inconvenienced."

The union represents about 5,000 airport service workers throughout the state, including at San Jose International Airport, San Francisco International Airport and Oakland International Airport.