The Teamsters have been questioning and challenging the carrier at both the Local and International Levels in an effort to ensure, to the fullest extent possible, the safety of our membership when it comes to the recent Ebola threat along with any other threats concerning blood borne pathogens and the like.
Your representatives have held meetings with local management questioning the availability of proper equipment when it comes to the day to day activitites of dealing with possible blood borne pathogens as well as the protocol the carrier will take when there is the possibility of an Ebola threat on one of our aircraft, a "Hot" aircraft.
Represnative from the Airline Division, the IBT Safety Committee and the International have asked the carrier to respond to some of these questions. What follows is the carrier's latest response:
Dear IBT Safety Leadership,
I’m responding to your concerns presented by Mr. Ralph Ortiz yesterday evening. I appreciate the shared passion for the safety of our employees as we confront the effects of the Ebola virus.
United Airlines has been in constant contact with the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) for several months. We have been providing updates to the guidance via Flying Together on a regular basis and will continue to do so as we move forward. We are not sure why Mr. Ortiz couldn’t access it but it is currently fully functional and up to date with our latest information.
Several of your questions were directed towards the Infection Control Kits that we carry on our aircraft. These kits are intended to be used by inflight staff to clean up biohazards on the aircraft during flight. These kits are not designed for ground crews to use. Our cleaning department is resourced with the tools to clean and disinfect our aircraft as needed. In the case of a suspected Ebola contamination, United will follow all the CDC’s directions. We will contact the CDC, which will determine if there’s possible exposure to Ebola and will advise us of the steps we need to take. At the point that the CDC releases the aircraft from quarantine, a qualified vendor will clean the aircraft. Until the aircraft is deemed free of the virus, our ground service employees will not be expected to enter the aircraft. If the CDC determines the Ebola virus is not on board, the company will revert to our normal cleaning practices.
We are working very hard to keep employees consistently informed of everything we learn about the Ebola Virus. The Link on Flying Together is the one place that the most up-to-date information can be found. Together we can advise all of our employees that this is the most accurate information that we have of this date. Leading employees to this site ensures that everyone is getting the most up-to-date information.
We are checking on the questions regarding Blue Water to make sure that the virus dies in that environment. As soon as we get this guidance from the CDC we will share it with your team. In the meantime, please understand that in the event Ebola was to become present on one of our aircraft the lavatory system would be part of the hazmat cleanup. The Ground Safety Manual will be updated with CDC guidelines as they evolve and as necessary. We will also consider enhancing our training.
Again, confirmed cases of Ebola will not be managed by our represented employees. We will contract a qualified vendor to manage this problem.
Thank you for your patience and support,
Ron Sims
Director Technical Operations Ground Safety
Office 872-825-9941
Cell 562-822-2231
Download UAL Ebola Response Memo
We have requested the carrier put forward a training program to deal with these issues.We understand there are still many unanswered questions the members and the IBT have brought forward to the carrier and we will continue to work to get all those questions answered. The Union is very concerned about the safety of our membership and will do all it can to ensure they are protected during these times of unrest.
It is important, however, to remember, the safety of our membership is paramount at all times, not just times where there are recently announced threats. Every member should be taking every precaution when it comes to dealing with possible blood borne pathogens. Procedures are spelled out in both Company Policy and the GMM. Please make sure we are following them at all times, thank you and if you have any questions feel free to contact your Local Union represenatives.