A labor union trying to
organize airport ramp and cargo workers announced it is partnering with
Menzies Aviation to help the airline contractor improve health and
safety conditions for its Los Angeles International Airport employees.
Menzies Aviation’s
partnership with Service Employees International Union, United Service
Workers West, or SEIU-USWW, was formed two months after the company was
hit with a $77,250 Cal-OSHA fine for three accident-related workplace
safety violations found during an investigation prompted by the Feb. 21
death of a 51-year-old baggage cart tug driver who fell off the vehicle.
According to a coroner’s
report, Cesar Valenzuela died of blunt trauma. Hypertrophic heart
disease was listed as a contributing factor, but the report said it was
not directly related to his death. The tug had a non-functioning
seatbelt.
SEIU-USWW has been
working to organize Menzies employees since 2012, and the company’s
non-management employees are not currently unionized, but the company
reached out to the union because they have taken the lead in pursuing
safety issues at LAX, according to union research director Andrew Gross
Gaitan.
“We’ve been pounding on
the issue of heath and safety at LAX, so to have the company that has
the longest-running and most serious problems to want to come forward
and partner with us to try to turn the situation around — I think that’s
a very positive development for the future of worker health and safety
at LAX,” Gaitan said.
The workplace violation
citations and a new licensing policy at LAX requiring contractors to
have clean health and safety records may have prompted Menzies to reach
out to the union to develop a new health and safety program, Gaitan
said.
Los Angeles World Airport
officials who oversee LAX and other city-owned airports were “seriously
considering terminating (Menzie’s) license” to operate at LAX, he said.
Menzies spokeswoman Maya
Pogoda said they have entered into a “unique partnership with the SEIU
to explore new and innovative ways to provide the safest, most efficient
and professional services possible at LAX.
“The company is pleased to have resolved its differences with the SEIU and looks forward to a bright future at LAX,” she said.
Under the health and
safety program, a committee will be formed that comprise SEIU-USWW and
Menzies representatives, employees, and health and safety advocates.
Industry experts will
also help develop worker health and safety training programs, inspection
programs will be created for vehicle and heavy equipment, and Menzies
employees will have a process for communicating their concerns to
management.
- Source: http://mynewsla.com
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