Evacuation procedures at AA stations are probably not up to standard should there be a terrorist attack and TWU members are definitely not properly informed/trained to deal with the situation.
Lifting Techniques – The Company has a lifting policy which they allow to be violated every day because the job wouldn’t get done if our members followed policy. (Etc-Bend knees while lifting no pulling, no lifting bags over your shoulder, yet carts are loaded to the top every day.)
Working in Cold Weather– With the company having sole discretion of man power, crews are left to work in cold weather flight after flight without protection. ( Article 27 has language that states no employee is required to work under unsafe or unsanitary conditions but employees. are immediately taken on by the company when they request a warm up period and a flight is waiting).
Congested Work Areas – American is slicing up all work on the ramp with different companies and it has become unsafe with non TWU workers not performing fueling lavs, De-icing, watering, cabin service, altering interline work, mail, freight, money all in the same area. (A/C Arrival lines on top of arrival lines)
Company under mans the operation and pressures workers, while we only have one sentence in article 27 of CBA to protect the workers.
IOD reports – When the company is taking a IOD report, stewards or safety stewards should be present so that they can become aware of any safety issues that were involved as 99% of IOD reports are taken without a steward present.
Company New Hires – Are not trained properly and sent out by the company as soon as possible into the work force. Most accidents in the system recently seem to be with new hires involved. The Cross Utilization at LGA has been a disaster as the company has been unable to train employees yet they want them to perform assignments on A/Cs or gates or use equipment which they are not trained on and turn a blind eye.
In todays time with Terrorist Acts and Gun crazies on attack ln the USA, our Evacuation Procedures at All TWU stations should be up to par, and All employees should be well informed.
(We should make Evacuation Drills at all stations mandatory).
It would be nice to have an International Safety Team survey and inspect all TWU Stations for Asbestos.
Bag room’s must be kept clean, have good air quality and during snow events rock salt turning to dust must be contained immediately.
The Ramp should have proper lighting and safety lines must be visible at all times.
Sufficient equipment is needed at ALL 501 stations, and all of our members need to be encouraged at inspecting equipment before use.
Cross-Utilization is problematic as the company fails to train our members properly on new gates and equipment. Also, it opened up an opportunity for the IAM to swap LAA equipment for their less than adequate LUS equipment such as tow bars.
All of our members should be aware of their surroundings. (NO DAYS UN-ALERT!).
ANY fire or safety systems that are antiquated should be updated to the new standards of today.
Outside contractors, vendors do not obey traffic rules on the ramp.
(TWU member at JFK struck by a vendor/s truck recently).
Congestion on the ramp makes for very unsafe working conditions at LGA/JFK.
American Airlines lacks sufficient equipment with much of it unsafe.
JFK outsource painting issue- unsafe paint used. (OSHA was contacted).
Company safety policies are ignored such as no lifting over head or bend at the knees when lifting. (l’m sure every station carts are filled with bags to the top).
JFK ramp is black top not concrete which causes many ruts and grooves, and the company places metal plates over them but the plates are just laid down and move and actually have been blown away.
No heat in either bag room at JFK- (New 2.5 billion dollar terminal.)