Report: 1 in 4 airline caterers say food carts vulnerable

 

Last month I wrote about how rats can board a plane via the catering trucks… now we have unauthorized individuals who can enter a plane and other areas of airports.

According to a survey obtained by USA Today, nearly one in four airline catering workers — 24% —say unauthorized people could get into their kitchens and trucks, and the same percentage warned that someone could place contraband on a food cart. Additionally, some workers have claimed that they have seen temporary workers without proper screening working inside their trucks.

Unite Here, a union representing 12,000 airline catering workers nationwide, surveyed 400 of its members and provided an 18-page report to the Transportation Security Administration on Monday.

• 44% of kitchens viewable on Google Street View showed open gates or unattended trucks. Unite Here members took pictures for the report that showed open fences around kitchens and unattended catering trucks.

• 50% of drivers reported incomplete or rushed inspections of trucks and cargo leaving the caterer.

• 64% of respondents said they don’t have enough staff to work safely and securely.

The Unite Here report raises serious concerns that subcontractors aren’t monitored as closely as airline contractors are. An inherent risk to airline and passenger security in an era where terrorism and radical insurgency has increased worldwide.

A Los Angeles caterer has a subcontractor 28 miles from the airport, which the union said raises security concerns. A union member in Chicago reported seeing temporary workers without identification badges working at one facility.

The report recommends:

• A TSA presence in any kitchen where meals are prepared or plated.

• A requirement that subcontractors be certified.

• An immediate halt to temporary labor in the industry.

Source: USA Today, Bart Jansen
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