Last week, as hundreds of thousands of Houstonians were left without electricity in the wake of Hurricane Beryl, many United Airlines technicians in the city were told they didn’t have to come to work – but many others were expected to report for duty – even during a state of emergency where most of the hangars and buildings remained without power or working restrooms.

“Teamsters Aviation Maintenance Technicians keep United Airlines’ fleet 100 percent safe when they report to work every day. For this carrier to protect only a small fraction of its workforce in Houston is utterly disgraceful,” said Jesse Ruiz, President of Local 19. “United Airlines’ leadership tells its workforce that their safety is of the ‘utmost importance;’ if they actually felt that way, they wouldn’t be forcing technicians to show up during what was at one point a Category 5 hurricane.”

Local 19 is in the process of filing dozens of grievances under Article 7K of the United Airlines National Bargaining Agreement, which governs safety standards at the carrier. If you’re a member of Local 19 at United Airlines who was told they needed to report to work during the storm, please reach out to your shop steward for more information.

If you’re a Teamster who suffered property damage or injury from Hurricane Beryl, you may qualify for assistance through the Teamsters Disaster Relief Fund. Contact your local union for more information.

As the Gulf region recuperates from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Beryl, hundreds of Teamsters need your help. Go to https://tdrfund.teamster.org/ to provide assistance to your union brothers and sisters.

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