Airline catering employees protest unaffordable healthcare

A union representing some 27,000 airline catering employees has launched a national campaign, involving events in Chicago, Atlanta and Dallas, amongst others, aimed at leading airlines. Recent protests were held in major US cities by employees in the airline catering industry, deploring unaffordable healthcare. Workers claim their healthcare is so extortionate that many are consequently underinsured or uninsured altogether. A petition was delivered to representatives of United, American Airlines and Delta on behalf of nearly 12,000 workers at 31 US airports, who suggest that for just a nickel a ticket the airlines could resolve the issue.

According to a 2014 analysis of nearly 10,000 contracted airline catering workers nationally, over 40% make less than US$10.10 per hour. Such low wages mean workers are unable to pay the premiums of “minimum value plans,” but are also unentitled to purchase more affordable options from health care exchanges. Some employees pay annual premiums for company offered healthcare of over US$1,400 for individuals and US$5,000 for families, in addition to an extra US$5,000 minimum deductible. As a result, many struggle to make ends meet: in the aforementioned survey, 25% of airline catering workers reported receiving some sort of public assistance.

And while all this struggling is going on, the US airline industry is flourishing. American Airlines, for example, reported a record US$1.2bn net profit in the third quarter of 2014. Yet they, along with Delta, United and other airlines, continue to short change their catering staff.

Major jet fuel leak at Honolulu airport

A 43,000 gallon jet fuel spill at the ASIG facility is posing a threat to coastal waters in Honolulu.

The Hawaii State Department of Health, Hazard Evaluation and Emergency Response Office and the US Environmental Protection Agency have been overseeing response efforts since the leak sprung from a 2.8m gallon capacity above ground storage tank, which supplies jet fuel to Honolulu airport.

ASIG is under strict orders from EPA to take measures that will stop contamination of further water or shoreline areas. The company’s recovery efforts include pumping the product from trenches and tank monitoring wells and so far approximately 16,000 gallons of fuel has been recovered. Efforts will continue to remove any released product, ensure the spill is contained and prevent an impact on State waters.

The Health Department has said that the spill poses no risk to drinking water, but fuel has spread from the facility through subsurface contamination and is within 150 feet of the harbor.

Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s regional administrator for the Pacific Southwest, said: “Our action is to make sure the fuel is cleaned up quickly to protect public health and Oahu’s ocean environment. We will be monitoring the work closely, and will investigate the cause of the spill to prevent one from happening again.”

Centurion faces eviction

US-based cargo carrier Centurion faces yet another lawsuit, shortly after returning to action in December 2014.

Aero Miami III, the carrier’s current landlord, is requesting that the airline be evicted from its facility at Miami International airport. In December 2014, Centurion was accused of owing more than US$10m in lease payments to AWAS subsidiary Pegasus Aviation Finance, which sought to repossess five aircraft operated by Centurion and its sister airline, SkyLease. The case was later resolved outside of court, and Centurion retained the aircraft, yet it is believed that Aero Miami filed its suit against Centurion the very same day. Centurion denies any outstanding rent payments on its 800,000 square foot facility, retaliating with counter-accusations that Aero Miami overcharged for services and criticizing US$9m worth of construction defects at the facility. The first hearing in Aero Miami’s eviction case was set for February 3, in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court. Next month, despite the ongoing legal disputes, Centurion has said that it is planning to relaunch its scheduled B747-400F Miami-Amsterdam service, to be operated by SkyLease. Centurion currently operates three MD-11F aircraft, while Sky Lease operates three B747-400ERF and a B747-400F type.