IN DECEMBER, SHE CONVINCED 3
HER EMPLOYEES TO TAKE HER ON A 3
TOUR TO THE AIRPORT, SO SHE 3
COULD SEE FOR HERSELF. 3
IT TOOK A LONG TIME FOR ME 3
TO EVEN GET THEM TO LET ME 3
VISIT THE AIRPORT, BECAUSE, 3
THEY HAD SAID THEY WERE AFRAID 3
FOR THEIR JOBS, IF THEY BEGAN 3
TO EXPRESS THEIR WORRIES. 3
IT WAS DARING ON THEIR PART, I 3
FELT, TO TAKE ME THERE. 3
Reporter: HIGGINS HAD HEARD 3
STORIES ABOUT UNSAFE AND BROKEN 3
DOWN VEHICLES. 3
I DID SEE SOME PRETTY RATTY 3
LOOKING VEHICLES OUT THERE, 3
THAT THEY ARE LOADING AND 3
UNLOADING SUPPLIES WITH. 3
Reporter: AS THE EMPLOYEES 3
SHOWED HER AROUND, SHE SAID SHE 3
EXPERIENCED FOR HERSELF HOW A 3
EULEN SUPERVISOR BEHAVED. 3
I WENT INTO ONE OF THE BREAK 3
ROOMS, AND ONE OF THE EULEN 3
SUPERVISORS WAS THERE AND, IT 3
WAS CLEAR. 3
YOU COULD JUST SEE HIM 3
PHYSICALLY RISE UP, GET UP, 3
MARCH ACROSS THE ROOM AND JUST 3
SORT OF SHOUTED OUT, THERE'S 3
GOING TO BE TROUBLE HERE. 3
AND, IT WAS -- AND I'M A COUNTY 3
COMMISSIONER -- IT WAS 3
INTIMIDATING. 3
Reporter: HIGGINS HADN'T 3
JUST SHOWN UP AT THE AIRPORT. 3
SHE NOTIFIED AIRPORT STAFF AND 3
WAS GIVEN AN ESCORT SO SHE WAS 3
WELL WITHIN HER RIGHTS TO BE 3
THERE. 3
EULEN OFFICIALS WERE 3
NEVERTHELESS ANNOYED ACCORDING 3
TO OFFICIALS. 3
I DID EXPERIENCE PEOPLE 3
REALLY TRYING TO PUSH US OUT. 3
AND, THIS IS PRIVATE PROPERTY, 3
YOU AREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE HERE. 3
WELL, THIS IS NOT PRIVATE 3
PROPERTY, THIS AIRPORT BELONGS 3
TO THE PEOPLE OF MIAMI-DADE 3
COUNTY. 3
Reporter: AS SHE CONTINUED, 3
SHE NOTICED SHE WAS NOW BEING 3
FOLLOWED. 3
THIS SUPERVISOR FOLLOWED US 3
AROUND THE AIRPORT, KEEPING HIS 3
EYES ON WHEREVER THE WORKERS 3
WENT. 3
Reporter: AFTER THE TOUR, 3
SHE WENT BACK TO HER OFFICE AND 3
SHE WROTE THE CEO OF EULEN 3
AMERICA A LETTER. 3
I WAS SURPRISED THAT AS A 3
COUNTY COMMISSIONER I WOULD 3
WITNESS AND BE SUBJECT TO 3
INTIMIDATING BEHAVIOR DURING AN 3
AIRPORT TOUR. 3
I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT THESE 3
WORKERS MUST FEEL AS THEY GO 3
ABOUT THEIR DAILY JOBS. 3
DID YOU GET ANY RESPONSE? 3
NO. 3
THE LAST I HEARD WAS, I LOOK 3
FORWARD TO HEARING THE RESULTS 3
OF THESE DISCUSSIONS. 3
BUT, I NEVER HEARD A WORD BACK 3
FROM THE COMPANY OF EULEN. 3
SO, IT'S NOT JUST MY IDEA, 3
IT'S THE WORKERS IDEAS THAT ARE 3
REJECTED. 3
THESE ARE OUR NEIGHBORS. 3
SO I NEVER HEARD ANYTHING BACK. 3
IT IS SHOCKING THAT THEY WOULD 3
MISS TREAT A COUNTY 3
COMMISSIONER, AND, IT'S A 3
RIDICULOUS. 3
THAT IS NO WAY TO TREAT PEOPLE, 3
THAT IS NO WAY TO RUN A 3
BUSINESS, IN MY OPINION. 3
IT'S NOT RIGHT. 3
AND, IT CERTAINLY DOES NOT SEEM 3
TO INDICATE A GREAT LEVEL OF 3
MORALITY. 3
Reporter: NOT ONLY DOES THE 3
COUNTY NEED TO GET INVOLVED, 3
HIGGINS SAID THE AIRLINES, 3
ESPECIALLY AMERICAN AND DELTA, 3
NEED TO STEP IN. 3
SINCE THEY HAVE THE CONTRACTS 3
WITH EULEN. 3
I PERSONALLY THINK THEY 3
SHOULD TAKE A LOT OF 3
RESPONSIBILITY. 3
THEY HIRED THEM DIRECTLY. 3
Reporter: A SPOKESWOMAN FOR 3
AMERICAN AIRLINES DECLINED TO 3
RESPOND TO THE ALLEGATIONS MADE 3
BY EULEN EMPLOYEES. 3
DELTA ISSUED THE FOLLOWING 3
STATEMENT TO CBS MIAMI. 3
WE ARE FOLLOWING UP DIRECTLY 3
WITH THE VENDORS, AND TAKE ALL 3
ACCUSATIONS OF THIS NATURE 3
SERIOUSLY. 3
DELTA WORKS CLOSELY WITH OUR 3
SERVICE PROVIDERS TO ENSURE 3
THEY ALIGN WITH OUR CORE VALUES 3
OF TREATING EACH OTHER WITH 3
DIGNITY AND RESPECT. 3
THE COUNTY'S AVIATION 3
DEPARTMENT ISSUED THE FOLLOWING 3
STATEMENT. 3
THE AVIATION DEPARTMENT HAS NO 3
JURISDICTION OR FEDERALLY 3
MANDATED AUTHORITY OVER EULEN, 3
OR ANY OTHER PERMITTEE AT M.I.A.3
OUTSIDE THE TERMS, IN THEIR 3
GENERAL AERONAUTICAL SERVICE 3
PERMIT AGREEMENT. 3
HIGGINS SAID EVERY WORKER 3
SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE EQUIPMENT 3
THAT IS SAFE, UNDER WORKING 3
CONDITIONS THAT WERE REASONABLE.3
IT DID NOT SEEM TO ME AS IF 3
THEY WERE ASKING FOR ANYTHING 3
DRAMATIC, RIGHT? 3
THEY WERE ASKING FOR WATER, A 3
BREAKROOM THAT DOESN'T HAVE 3
COCKROACHES IN IT. 3
Reporter: SHE NOTED THERE 3
WERE OTHER COMPANIES PROVIDING 3
THESE SERVICES AT M.I.A., AS 3
WELL AS AIRPORTS WITHOUT THESE 3
COMPLAINTS. 3
WHAT WE KNOW IS, IT IS 3
POSSIBLE TO PROVIDE THESE 3
SERVICES TO OUR AIRLINE AND 3
HAVE A SATISFIED WORKFORCE THAT 3
HAS BETTER WORKING CONDITIONS 3
AT M.I.A. 3
'S BACK IN THE DAYS AHEAD, WE 3
MAY HEAR MORE ABOUT THIS ISSUE. 3
HIGGINS ALONG WITH MEMBERS OF 3
CONGRESS ARE EXPECTED TO HOLD A 3
PUBLIC HEARING AT THE AIRPORT 3
TO DISCUSS MANY OF THE 3
COMPLAINTS INVOLVING EULEN. 3
BUT IT WOULD BE A MISTAKE TO 3
THINK THE PROBLEMS THAT THE 3
AIRPORT ARE LIMITED TO ANY ONE 3
COMPANY. 3
WHEN WE COME BACK, WE WIDEN OUR 3
LENS AND LOOK AT OTHER WORKERS 3
WHO SAY THEY ARE STRUGGLING TO 3
SURVIVE. 3
YOU WOULD THINK THAT THOSE 3
PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THAT AIRPORT 3