PANDEMIC AND SURVIVED.
NEWS AT 6:00 BEGINS RIGHT NOW.
THIS IS CBS4 NEWS AT 6:00.
OFF THE TOP, A CBS 4
EXCLUSIVE.
INCLUDING THOSE RIGHT HERE IN
SOUTH FLORIDA.
I AM LAUREN PASTRANA.
THE CULMINATION OF THE STORY
WE'VE BEEN REPORTING ON FOR TWO
YEARS.
UNSAFE WORKING CONDITIONS AT
THE AIRPORT.
IT WAS FIRST BROUGHT TO US,
GOOD EVENING.
THEIR EMPLOYEES CLAIM THAT
THEY HAVE BEEN ABUSED OR UNSAFE
WORKING CONDITIONS.
THEY CLAIM AND THEY COMPLAINED
THEY FOUND OUT THEY WERE BEING
INTIMIDATED AND HARASSED AS A
RESULT.
THIS IS ABOUT THE TREATMENT
OF OUR WORKERS, THIS IS ABOUT
VALUES AND HONORING OUR
WORKFORCE.
Reporter: LESS THAN A MONTH
TO REMOVE THEM FROM THE MIAMI
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, THEY
HAVE AGREED TO NOT ONLY IMPROVE
WORKING CONDITIONS, BUT HIRE AN
INDEPENDENT HEALTH AND SAFETY
EXPERT TO MONITOR CONDUCT.
I BELIEVE THIS IS A VERY
CLEAR MESSAGE.
THERE IS A NEW DAY IN COUNTY
GOVERNMENT, THAT WE ARE NOT
GOING TO TOLERATE MISTREATMENT
OF OUR WORKFORCE, THAT
COMPANIES DOING BUSINESS AT THE
AIRPORT WILL HAVE TO LOOK TO
THIS AS AN EXAMPLE.
Reporter: SHE SAID SHE WOULD
RESCIND HER PREVIOUS ORDER AND
ALLOW THEM TO REMAIN IT M.I.A.
IS WAS FIRST DOCUMENTED IN
2019, CABIN CLEANERS COMPLAINED
THEY WERE EXPOSED TO HAZARDOUS
CHEMICALS.
BAGGAGE HANDLERS DID NOT HAVE
ACCESS TO WATER, AND VEHICLES
USED TO TRANSPORT WORKERS HAD
FAULTY SEATBELTS, HOLES IN THE
FLOOR, AND WERE OVERRUN WITH
COCKROACHES.
FEDERAL REGULATORS LEVIED
THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN FINES,
BUT WORKERS SAID THE PROBLEMS
REMAINED.
I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM
FOR YEARS, I HAVE STOOD WITH
THEM AND THEY PROTESTED
CONDITIONS.
I FULLY KNOW THE HARDSHIPS THAT
THEY EXPERIENCED.
I DID THIS FOR THEM, I DID THIS
FOR THE FAMILIES, FOR ALL OF
OUR WORKERS.
THIS IS A SPANISH OWNED
COMPANY THAT FELT LIKE THEY
COULD GET AWAY WITH MISTREATING
AMERICAN WORKERS.
Reporter: COUNTY
COMMISSIONER FIRST BEGAN
EXPRESSING CONCERNS MORE THAN
TWO YEARS AGO.
UPON A VISIT TO THE AIRPORT,
SHE SAW FIRSTHAND HOW THE
WORKERS WERE TREATED.
THESE TREATED WERE SAYING WE
ARE NOT RESPECTED, OUR HEALTH
IS A RISK, OUR SAFETY IS AT
WORK.
WHEN THEIR NUMBER ONE REQUEST
AS WE WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO
DRINK WATER WHILE WORKING ON
THE TARMAC? YOU NOTICE A
TERRIBLE COMPANY.
Reporter: THEIR CONDUCT
PROMPTED A CONGRESSIONAL
HEARING IN WASHINGTON AND
ROUNDTABLE AT THE AIRPORT.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE IN
SITUATIONS BUT THEY DON'T SAY
ANYTHING.
THESE WORKERS WERE READY TO
SPEAK OUT AND VOICE THEIR
COMPLAINTS.
AND WE LISTENED.
Reporter: CBS 4 NEWS HAS
ALSO LEARNED OF THE PAST TWO
WEEKS, THEY SIGNED A NATIONAL
LABOR AGREEMENT WAS SERVICE
EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONAL, WHICH
WILL COVER ALL WORKERS AND ALL
AIRPORTS, INCLUDING NEW YORK,
WASHINGTON, D.C., AND TAMPA.
HELENE O'BRIEN IS THE FLORIDA
DIRECTOR.
SOME OF THE BIGGEST CONCERNS
OF THE AIRPORT ARE UNSAFE
WORKING CONDITIONS, AND
INABILITY FOR FOLKS TO BE ABLE
TO SPEAK UP WITHOUT FEAR OF
GETTING IN TROUBLE OR PUNISHED.
ALL OF THAT IS GONE.
AGREEMENT WAS REACHED, SHE'S
BROKE THE NEWS TO KEVIN CLEANER
SEXY
THERE HUGGING AND CRYING,
THEY COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT
THEY WERE ABLE, AFTER ALL OF
THESE YEARS, TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL MOMENT.
Reporter: WE DID GET A
STATEMENT THEY DID SAY THEY ARE
PLEASED THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO
REACH AN AGREEMENT AND THE CL
DEEPLY ABOUT OUR WORKFORCE AND
WE ARE FIRMLY COMMITTED TO
PROVIDING THEM WITH A WORK
ENVIRONMENT AND PROCEDURES THAT
MEET OR EXCEED INDUSTRY
STANDARDS.
WE ARE COMMITTED TO THE SUCCESS
OF AIRLINE PARTNERS WHO RELY ON
US FOR EXCELLENT SERVICE.
AS YOU CAN TELL, IT'S AN
INTERESTING STORY THAT WILL
CONTINUE TO GET REACTION TO.
HE FIRST BROUGHT IT TO LIFE,
WHAT MAKES IT SO HISTORIC?
THE IDEA OF HIRING AN
INDEPENDENT INSPECTOR TO DEAL
WITH SAFETY AND HEALTH ISSUES.
THIS PERSON WILL BE ABLE TO NOT
JUST GO THROUGH COMPANY RECORDS
AND THEY NEED TO, TO BE ON-
INTERVIEW EMPLOYEES ON THE JOB.
THEY CAN TAKE THEM ASIDE AND
TALK WITH HIM PRIVATELY ABOUT
ANY CONCERNS THEY MIGHT HAVE.
THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS
THE NORM.
FROM TALKING TO LABOR LEADERS
HERE AND COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS,
THEY BELIEVE THIS WILL SET A
NEW STANDARD THAT THEY WILL TRY
AND COULD HAVE REALIMPACT ON
LOT OF AIRLINE WORKERS ACROSS
THE COUNTRY.
THANKS FOR YOUR CONTINUED
REPORTING ON THIS, AND FOR YOUR
UPDATE TONIGHT.