More Global catering trucks for Southwest

Air T has said that its subsidiary, Global Ground Support, was awarded a GSE order from Southwest Airlines earlier this month. The order, which is reputed to be in excess of US$2.8m, is for the supply of Global Ground Support’s catering trucks. These trucks will be equipped with Global’s own design of scissor-lift, which functions with two, single stage hydraulic lift cylinders and which carry payload capacities of 6,000 pounds. Global has been in the enviable position of being Southwest’s sole supplier of provisioning trucks since 2003. To date, Global Ground Support has delivered over 230 trucks and deliveries of the latest order for 35 trucks are expected to be completed during this year.

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Menzies boosts salaries at Sea-Tac

Menzies announced on March 25 that the base rate for its employees at the Seattle-Tacoma International airport had been increased to US$15.24, effective February 15, 2016. The increased wages have affected staff up to the level of Lead and Supervisor a, with some 900 employees in all set to benefit from the rise.

Aviation worker salary concerns and protests have made the news headlines regularly since 2013, with Sea-Tac activity very much in the vanguard. Those concerns have not been solely restricted to aviation employees, however, with fast food workers and other sectors also joining in the fray. Sea-Tac is seen as the landmark case, though, and Menzies’ decision to go ahead with the pay award, despite continued opposition to the Proposition 1 that was voted for earlier, is an indication of the value that it places on its workforce. In a statement, Menzies stressed that it invests a great deal in its handling staff, ensuring that they are correctly trained and that there is an evident focus on career growth. Commenting, Menzies’ Vice President Philip Harnden, added: “In Seattle, we felt this wage increase was consistent with that approach and Menzies’ policy of continually investing in its employees. We also determined to do so despite Proposition 1 continuing to be debated in the courts.”

Harnden went on to say: “Our investment in our employees is about more than just wages. In addition to its competitive pay packages, Menzies Aviation also invests considerable resources and time into training and helping its employees with career growth and development. We believe that is why we have been able to attract and retain a dedicated and hard-working group of core employees who have been the cornerstone of our success at this important hub location for our key airline customers.”