Workers at Newark-Liberty International Airport (EWR) are going public with their safety concerns on Wednesday afternoon.
Airport service workers at the New Jersey-based flight hub are set to gather for a rally at 3 p.m. ET today to draw attention to what they are calling unsafe working conditions. The workers, along with the Local 32BJ chapter of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), are asking airline service provider Alliance Ground International (AGI) to take “immediate action” to protect employees against workplace injuries and extreme heat.
“Workers say the company is putting profits before safety, forcing crews to endure punishing heat and hazardous conditions without proper protections, including AC,” said the SEIU in a press release. “Cargo and ramp workers report that heat-related illnesses have become commonplace this summer, underscoring the urgent need for change.”
AGI service workers have multiple asks
In organizing with the Local 32BJ, AGI airline service employees–which include cargo, ramp and ground handling workers–are asking their employer for the OSHA 300 Log, which documents workplace illnesses and injuries.
The workers are also demanding increased heat protections, which include the following:
- Better cooling equipment
- Consistent and accessible water breaks
- Compensation for work disrupted by heat
- Additional training so staff are equipped to recognized and handle heat stress.
Workers are also claiming AGI owes $2 million under New Jersey’s Healthy Terminal Act and are demanding the company pay up.
Not the first EWR worker’s protest this summer
Back in early July, more than 50 32BJ SEIU airport workers rallied to protest United Airlines’ decision to slash labor standards for several hundred cabin cleaners and lift truck drivers.
United had announced it was planning to replace union contractor Prospect Cleaning Services with United Ground Express, it’s own subsidiary service, at Newark Airport. A spokesman said the move is planned for October.
“This is chaos,” said Ana Maria Hill, executive vice president and New Jersey state director of 32BJ SEIU. “United Airlines is gutting standards we’ve spent over a decade building — standards that ensure stable, high-quality jobs and a healthy, functioning airport.”
