WHERE THERE IS COMMUNISM AND
DEPRESSION, THEY ARE AS AFRAID
HERE AS THEY ARE BACK IN THEIR
HOME COUNTRY.
SPEAKING BASICALLY WE DO A
BETTER JOB WITH THE AIRLINES
BECAUSE WE HAVE VERY HIGH LEVEL
EDUCATION.
TONIGHT AT SEVEN, MIAS
FORGOTTEN WORKERS.
CBSMIAMI SPENT WEEKS
INTERVIEWING WORKERS AND
COMBING THROUGH RECORDS
REVEALING TROUBLING ALLEGATIONS
OF MISTREATMENT INTIMIDATION AT
WHAT SOME BELIEVE IS A CLIMATE
OF FEAR THAT PREVENTS WORKERS
FROM SPEAKING OUT.
ARE INVESTIGATION FOCUSES
ON ONE COMPANY PARTICULAR
YOU'LL IN AMERICA.
HERE IS MORE ON THE
INVESTIGATION.
YOU HAVE MORE THAN 2000
WORKERS AT MIA MANY OF THEM
RECENT IMMIGRANTS.
WHEN THE CITY DEFINED BY
IMMIGRATION, THIS IS A STORY OF
HOW SOME OF THOSE WORKERS ARE
BEING BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE
BEING EXPLOITED IN THE
COMMUNITY THEY NOW CALL HOME.
EVERY YEAR, MORE THAN 45
MILLION PASSENGERS TRAVELED TO
MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
NO OTHER ENTITY IN THE STATE OF
FLORIDA PRODUCES MORE REVENUE
THAN MIA.
NOT EVEN DISNEY WORLD CONTACTS
THE $31 BILLION THE AIRPORT
GENERATES A YEAR.
MANY AIRPORT WORKERS DO NOT
SHARE IN THAT WEALTH.
JUST BEYOND THE NEWLY REMODELED
STEEL AND GLASS TERMINALS,
THOUSANDS OF WORKERS TOIL UNDER
EXTREME CONDITIONS .
SOMETIMES I FEEL THAT WHAT
THEY THINK WE ARE MACHINES.
NOT HUMAN.
S THE BON IS A RAMP WORKER
FOR COMPANY CALL YOU'LL IN
AMERICA.
HE LOADS IN THE LOADS BAGS IN
THE PLANES BELLY AND HOLDS AS
MANY AS 300 BAGS A DAY WITH
EACH BAG OFTEN WEIGHING BETWEEN
70 AND 90 POUNDS.
THE 60-YEAR-OLD CUBAN IMMIGRANT
SHOWS ME THE SCHEDULE FROM THE
DAY BEFORE WHERE HE CLAIMED TO
HAVE WORKED FROM 1 PM UNTIL
6:30 PM.
WHEN WE FINISH ONE PLANE,
THERE IS ANOTHER WAITING.
FOR US.
WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO DRINK
WATER.
Reporter: YOU WORK FOR FIVE
AND HALF HOURS WITHOUT A BREAK
.
ANY BREAK.
Reporter: IN ADDITION TO HIS
SCHEDULE HE SHOWS US HOW HE
USUALLY BRINGS A BOTTLE OF
WATER WITH HIM AT THE BEGINNING
OF THE DAY.
TEMPERATURES ON THE TARMAC CAN
EASILY REACH 100 DEGREES
ESPECIALLY WHEN COMBINED WITH
THE HEAT OF THE ENGINES.
SPEAKING VERY, VERY HOT.
EXTREMELY HOT.
NOT ONLY OUTSIDE BUT INSIDE THE
PLANE IT IS VERY, VERY HOT.
Reporter: WORKERS BECOME
DIZZY OR LIGHTHEADED AND SOME
EVEN FAINTED.
MANY OF THE EUON EMPLOYEES
CBSMIAMI INTERVIEWED COMPLAINED
THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE EASY OR
RELIABLE ACCESS TO WATER.
IN NOVEMBER 2018, MIAMI-DADE
AVIATION DIRECTOR RUSTY SOLA
RECEIVED THIS LETTER DETAILING
ALLEGATIONS THAT EUON WORKERS
WERE BEING MISTREATED.
IN RESPONSE, COUNTY OFFICIALS
ASKED EUON TO INVESTIGATE
ITSELF IN ORDER TO DETERMINE IF
THE COMPANY DID ANYTHING WRONG.
ON FEBRUARY 5 2019 EUON
RESPONDED TO SOLO THING AFTER
THEY CONDUCTED THEIR OWN
INTERNAL REVIEW, IT CONCLUDED
THAT MANY OF THE COMPLAINTS
WERE NOT VALID.
EASY ACCESS TO DRINKING WATER
IS NOT CONCERN TO OUR EMPLOYEE
GROUP A EUON OFFICIAL WROTE.
WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED A PROCESS
WITH THE RENOVATED GOLF CART
WITH COOLERS WITH WATER AND
GATORADE TO ENSURE RAP
EMPLOYEES ARE HYDRATED AT ALL
TIMES.
SIMILARLY WE CONFIRM THAT
EMPLOYEES WORKING IT ON A RAMP
OR CABIN TAKE THEIR BRAKES ON A
DAILY BASIS.
WORKERS HOWEVER STAND BY THEIR
CLAIMS SAYING THEY HAVE NEVER
SEEN A EULEN WATER OR GATORADE
GOLF CART.
THEY MAINTAINED THAT OFTEN
THEIR ONLY BREAK IS AT THE END
OF THEIR SHIFT AFTER WORKING
SEVEN OR EIGHT HOURS STRAIGHT.
HERE LINES CONTRACT WITH EULEN
AMERICA TO PROVIDE US ARRAY OF
SERVICES UP AND ON THE EAST
COAST INCLUDING MIAMI, FORT
LAUDERDALE, WASHINGTON DC, NEW
YORK.
AT MIA AMERICAN AIRLINES HIRES
EULEN TO CLEAN CABINS BETWEEN
FLIGHTS.
DELTA USES EULEN EMPLOYEES FOR
LOADING AND UNLOADING BAGGAGE.
EULEN ALSO PROVIDES VARIOUS
AIRLINE WHEELCHAIR AND CUSTOMER
SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES.
WE TRIED BY PHONE AT THE
COMPANY HEADQUARTERS IN MIAMI
THE CEO OF EULEN AMERICA
XAVIER, DECLINED IN REQUEST FOR
AN INTERVIEW.
I'M NOT THE RIGHT PERSON TO
DISCUSS THIS WITH YOU.
HE SAID.
I'M THE CEO OF THE COMPANY.
ASKED ABOUT THE WORKERS
COMPLAINTS, HE SAID I BELIEVE
IT IS FALSE.
REBEL WHO BECAME CEO A YEAR AGO
REFERRED CBSMIAMI TO EULEN
AMERICA'S PARENT COMPANY BASED
IN SPAIN GRUPO EULEN RESPONDED
TO QUESTIONS STATING IN AN
EMAIL WE ARE NOT GOING TO MAKE
ANY STATEMENTS ABOUT THIS.
EULEN EMPLOYEES WAS TOLD TO
DESCRIBE THE CULTURE OF FEAR
AND INTIMIDATION WITHIN THE
COMPANY.
SEVERAL EMPLOYEES WOULD SPEAK
ONLY IF THEIR IDENTITIES WERE
HIDDEN.
AS AN AIRPORT CONTRACTOR, EULEN
IS REQUIRED TO PAY THEIR
WORKERS BETWEEN 14 AND $16 AN
HOUR UNDER THE COUNTY'S LIVING
WAGE ORDINANCE.
WHILE THE WORKERS SAY THAT MAY
SEEM LIKE ENOUGH, THEY CLAIM
THE COMPANY LIMITS THE AMOUNT
OF HOURS THEY WORK TO KEEP THEM
FROM RECEIVING BENEFITS.
THEY ARE NOT PROVIDED SICK DAYS
OR VACATION TIME.
HELENE O'BRIEN IS A FLORIDA
DIRECTOR OF THE SERVICE
EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONAL UNION
LOCAL 32 BJ WHICH IS TRYING TO
ORGANIZE A 2000 EULEN WORKERS
THAT MIA .
IF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE
CLAIMING THE AIRPLANE OR
COUGHING AND ILL AND THEY
CANNOT TAKE A DAY OFF BECAUSE
THEY WOULD LOSE PAY, THAT IS
CONCERNING.
Reporter: DO YOU FEEL
PRESSURE WHEN SICK TO GO TO
WORK ANYWAY ?
YES.
BECAUSE I NEED TO PAY MY BILLS.
Reporter: OF CREW OF FOUR
CABIN CLEANERS CAN BE GIVEN AS
LITTLE AS 10 MINUTES TO CLEAN
THE PLANE.
THEY CLAIM THAT IS NOT ENOUGH
TIME, EULEN DISAGREES STATING
OUR WORKFORCE IS SUFFICIENT TO
MEET AND FACE THE DEMAND.
YOU CAN FIND PEOPLE.,
BLANKETS, DIAPERS ON THE FLOORS,
YOU JUST HAVE TO MAKE IT LOOK
NICE AND CLEAN.
Reporter: THE EQUIPMENT IS
ANOTHER FREQUENT COMPLAINT.
WORKERS PROVIDED THESE PICTURES
AND VIDEO SHOWING WHAT THEY SAY
ARE THE INSIDE OF EULEN'S VANS
THAT CARRIES THE CABIN CLEANING
CREWS TO THE PLAINS.
HOLES IN THE FLOORBOARDS, A
ROOF THAT POURS DOWN ON THE
WORKERS WHEN IT RAINS.
A BROKEN DOOR THAT HAS TO BE
TIED SHUT WITH A SEATBELT.
EULEN DENIES THEIR EQUIPMENT IS
UNSAFE.
ONE OF THE EMPLOYEES WE SPOKE
TO SAID HE ASKED THE COMPANY FOR
A LIST OF WORKPLACE INJURIES.
THE COMPANY HAS SO FAR REFUSED
TO PROVIDE IT.
ONE OF THE COMPLAINTS HE
REPORTED THAT THE WORKERS HAD
IS THAT THEY ARE SCARED. THEY
ARE SCARED OF THEIR SUPERVISORS.
THEY SAY THAT THEY ARE
SCARED OF SPEAKING OUT AND OF
COMPLAINING.
THERE IS SOME JUSTIFICATION FOR
IT.
WE FOUND AT LEAST TWO CASES IN
WHICH THE NATIONAL LABOR
RELATIONS BOARD FOUND THAT
EULEN FIRED EMPLOYEES BECAUSE
OF ATTEMPTING TO JOIN A UNION
OR TALKING ABOUT JOINING A
UNION OR MAKING COMPLAINTS
ABOUT WHAT THEY WERE DOING.
IN ONE CASE, THEY WERE ORDER TO
ACTUALLY REHIRE THE WORKER AND
OPPOSED TO NOTICES SAYING THAT
THEY WILL NOT INTERFERE WITH AN
EMPLOYEE'S RIGHT TO TRY TO
ORGANIZE AND COLLECTIVE
BARGAINING.
BUT EULEN IS EVEN MOVING
FORWARD AND APPEALING THAT
DECISION.
COUNTY COMMISSIONER EILEEN
HIGGINS TOWARD THE AIRPORT AS
YOU SAID A LOT OF THEM ARE
SCARED YOU FIND ANYTHING WERE
THEY ABLE TO SPEAK UP WITH HER?
THIS WAS FASCINATING TO ME.
EILEEN HIGGINS WENT TO THE
AIRPORT IN DECEMBER TO SEE FOR
HERSELF BECAUSE SHE HEARD SOME
OF THE SAME STORIES I HEARD.
AS SHE WAS BEING LED AROUND BY
EULEN WORKERS WITH A COUNTY
OFFICIAL ESCORTING THEM AS
WELL, SHE WAS OKAY TO BE THERE,
SHE SAID THAT WHEN SHE WENT TO
EULEN'S BREAK ROOM , ONE OF
THE SUPERVISORS FROM EULEN
STOOD UP AND MOVED TOWARDS HER
AND STARTED YELLING THERE IS
GOING TO BE TROUBLE IF THIS
CONTINUES.
IN OTHER WORDS THREATENING THE
COMMISSIONER.
FROM THEN ON, SHE LEFT AND
EULEN SUPERVISORS FOLLOWED THEM
AROUND DOCUMENTING WHEREVER
THEY WENT AND WHOEVER THEY
SPOKE TO.
SHE SAID SHE FELT INTIMIDATED
AND THREATENED.
SHE CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT THE
WORKERS FELT.
STRUCK HER AND SHE MADE THE
POINT SHE HAD EVERY RIGHT IN
THE WORLD TO BE THERE.
IS THIS LIMITED TO ONE COMPANY
?
IS A LARGER ISSUE AT PLAY
HERE.
WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT MIA,
YOU DO NOT KNOW THE MICROCOSM
OF MIAMI.
WE ARE A SERVICE SECTOR
ECONOMY.
WE DON'T PRODUCE MUCH HERE.
SOME OF OUR JOBS ARE LOW-WAGE
SERVICE SECTOR JOBS.
THERE WAS A STUDY THAT CAME OUT
TODAY THAT TALK ABOUT THE
DISPARITY BETWEEN THE VERY RICH
AND THE VERY POOR.
THAT DISPARITY IS AT ITS
GREATEST HERE IN MIAMI.
ONLY NEW YORK HAS A HIGHER
DISPARITY BETWEEN THE TWO.
WHEN YOU SAY THINGS LIKE THAT,
WORKERS AT OTHER AIRLINES ARE
MAKING ONLY NINE DOLLARS AN HOUR
AT NOT GETTING BENEFITS THAT
THEY DESERVE.
EVEN THE RESTAURANT EMPLOYEES
WHO WORK AT THE AIRPORT, THEY
USED TO ADD AUTOMATIC
GRATUITIES ONTO THE BILL
BECAUSE THEY WERE ONLY MAKING
FIVE DOLLARS AN HOUR.
BUT NOW THE COUNTY HAS STRUCK
THAT DOWN SAYING NO MORE
AUTOMATIC TIPS.
THE WORKERS, THE PEOPLE WHEN
YOU GO TO THE AIRPORT, THE
PEOPLE WHO MAKE THAT PLACE A
RUNNER BEING SQUEEZED HARDER
AND HARDER.
IT'S A BIG PROBLEM YOU'RE
FOCUSING ON IT AND WE WILL HEAR