Members of Congress call on Command Security Corporation to comply with Federal & Local Labor Laws at LAX, says SEIU USWW

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Sep 20, 2012, 02:51 ET

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- More than 20 Members of Congress sent a letter to Command Security Corporation to express their disappointment at the company's refusal to participate in a national mediation hearing with the National Mediation Board and SEIU's United Service Workers West, as well as the company's failure to comply with the City of Los Angeles' Living Wage Ordinance. The letter further calls into question the company's ethics and integrity.

Read/download the Congressional letter at
http://www.seiu.org/2012/09/members-of-congress-call-on-command-security-corpo.php

Earlier this year, Command Security Corporation's subsidiary Aviation Safeguards (AVSG) – a contractor providing security screening, wheelchair assistance, skycap and cabin cleaning services at major US airports – refused to honor its collective bargaining agreement with more than 400 of its LAX employees, causing workers to lose access to full family health coverage they had negotiated as one of the terms of their contract.

On June 26th the National Mediation Board (NMB), the federal agency responsible for resolving transportation industry labor disputes, notified Aviation Safeguards that it had taken jurisdiction to mediate the dispute over the company's failure to bargain with its LAX workers. Command Security challenged the NMB's jurisdiction and refused to participate in the mediation process. AVSG was also notified by the city's Bureau of Contract Administration on several occasions that it was out of compliance with the City's Living Wage Ordinance.

Members of Congress who were signatories to the letter from the California delegation included: Representatives Howard Berman, Linda Sanchez, Harry Waxman, Maxine Waters, George Miller, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Janice Hahn, Laura Richardson, Judy Chu, Pete Stark, Loretta Sanchez, Joe Baca, Michael Honda, Lynn Woolsey, Doris Matsui, Bob Filner, Adam Schiff, Sam Farr and Brad Sherman. Representatives Jim McDermott (WA), Dennis Kucinich (OH), and Robert Brady (PA) also signed the letter.

Aviation Safeguards is a subsidiary of Command Security Corp. of Lagrangeville, N.Y. The company provides services to airlines including United and Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa and Air France. Aviation Safeguards maintains a presence at major US airports including Philadelphia, Sea-Tac, Portland, Boston Logan, LaGuardia and JFK. The company also provides uniformed security officers and support security services to government, financial and industrial customers throughout the United States.

SEIU United Service Workers West represents more than 40,000 janitors, security officers, airport service workers, and other property service workers across California. SEIU is the fastest growing union in North America, with more than 2 million members.