PHOENIX — A union is taking action after officials say an airline-catering worker was suspended for two days last week.
Unite Here Local 11 says LSG Sky Chefs employee Filiberto Lares was suspended over a “safety issue” and given a warning.
The suspension comes just weeks after Lares complained to city leaders that the AC was not properly functioning in their airline-catering trucks and the same day the union organized a protest at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
Union officials said they have now filed a whistleblower complaint against the company with the Industrial Commission of Arizona, alleging Lares was retaliated against for speaking out about unsafe work conditions.
Phoenix City Councilwoman Anna Hernandez has called Sky Chef’s actions “egregious.”
Lares, and other employees took their concerns directly to the Phoenix City Council last month. At the time, Lares said he feared retaliation for speaking out.
“I got family. I got so many bills to pay. But I feel unsafe working under those conditions. Two or three days ago, it was 115. The tarmac was, I believe, 120,” Lares said to city leaders.
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The council passed a city heat ordinance more than a year ago. The ordinance aims to protect airport workers from the extreme Arizona heat. As part of the ordinance, vehicles with enclosed cabs had to have functioning AC no later than May 1, 2025.
The city’s Aviation Department immediately launched an investigation after hearing from the workers last month.
A city inspection on July 2 found that none of the 12 inspected Sky Chefs vehicles had functioning air conditioning, according to a letter the city sent to Sky Chefs.
“Vehicle cabin temperatures were observed to be in excess of 100º Fahrenheit, and air blowing from vehicle air conditioning vents was observed to range between 85 and 95º Fahrenheit. Through these inspections, the city has determined that LSG Sky Chefs is not in compliance with the ordinance.”
Another inspection on July 16 found the company had made “measurable progress,” but that “ LSG Sky Chefs continues to operate some trucks that do not maintain adequate functioning air conditioning” as required by the city’s heat ordinance.
Documents obtained through a records request by ABC15 show the city and Sky Chefs officials disagreed over what was considered a functioning AC.
The city defines functioning AC as a maximum of 75º vent temperatures or outdoor air temperature minus 40º.
City officials have said they are continuing to do spot inspections of Sky Chefs trucks, and that trucks without adequate functioning AC will not be allowed on the tarmac.
ABC15 reached out to the city’s Aviation Department on Wednesday for an update, but has not yet heard back.
A majority of the airlines at Sky Harbor contract with Sky Chefs for airline catering.
Sky Chefs told ABC15 in a statement the company cannot comment on the details of employment actions.
“We can confirm we have strict safety policies in place with zero tolerance for significant safety violations. Appropriate action was taken in accordance with these policies. For further clarification, Mr. Lares is still employed with Sky Chefs and there is no connection between Mr. Lares’ testimony before the City Council last month and the recent policy actions taken.”
Email ABC15 Investigator Anne Ryman at: anne.ryman@abc15.com, call her at 602-685-6345, or connect on X, formerly known as Twitter, and Facebook.
