LAX food workers allege maggots, unsafe conditions in Cal/OSHA filing
Unsanitary conditions reported at LAX food processing center
Workers at LAX have filed a complaint with CAL/OSHA, saying they were forced to work in unsanitary conditions.
LOS ANGELES - Food workers at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) have filed a complaint with state workplace safety regulators after alleging they were forced to work in unsanitary and unsafe conditions.
What we know:
The complaint was filed with the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) on behalf of workers by labor union UNITE HERE Local 11. It alleges employees were forced to work in excessive heat and were exposed to unsafe conditions, including maggots, mold, and vermin inside facilities used to prepare airline meals.
In one incident, a worker claimed a supervisor instructed them to wash a dish covered in decomposing food rather than throw it away. The worker alleged they were not provided a mask or respirator and subsequently experienced stomach pain, a headache, and a strange sensation in their nose while handling the noxious material.
Additionally, the complaint alleges workers handling food lacked proper access to restrooms and handwashing stations supplied with adequate soap and paper towels.
The complaint was filed in late June.
What they're saying:
"No one should have to work around maggots, cockroaches, mold, and rotting food just to earn a paycheck, as this complaint alleges," said Susan Minato, co-president of UNITE HERE Local 11. "The workers who prepare meals for airline passengers deserve a workplace that meets the most basic standards of cleanliness and safety. We ask Cal/OSHA to take these issues seriously and investigate immediately."
LA Mayor Karen Bass released a statement saying she takes the allegations "very seriously."
The Source: This report is based on statements and documents provided in a Cal/OSHA complaint filed by UNITE HERE Local 11, along with official statements from union leadership and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.