Union safety inspectors and company representatives conducted a safety walk-through audit last week at Sea-Tac airport in Seattle. The exercise was sponsored by Local 1351 and the unionized workers at American Airlines.
The planned safety audit was joined by company partners from American Airlines’ Absence Management, the department that studies injuries and workplace dangers. Overseeing the inspections was Tony D’Aloiso, Safety Director at District 141 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, as well as Systems Safety Expert, Thomas Merrick from Transport Workers Union Local 539.
Airlines and their unionized employees can often adopt an adversarial stance towards one another, particularly during contract negotiations. However, when it comes to airline safety, both sides agree that strong partnerships are in the best interest of everyone involved. Passengers, investors, management and front-line workers alike all benefit from a strong safety culture.
“Today we had corporate and our union guys here, doing a safety audit (and) working together, and that’s our big thing right now,” said Pam Flaherty, a Safety Rep from IAMAW Local 1351, which is based in Seattle.