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CWA Presses Federal Prosecution in Charlotte Airport Rage Incident
The Communications Workers of America is fighting for real protections for US Airways agents in the wake of an assault on a gate agent in Charlotte, N.C., the fifth serious incident at the Charlotte airport in six months.
CWA has been pressing US Airways to take action in light of the growing levels of airport rage directed at ticket and gate agents by frustrated passengers.
A scientific survey conducted for CWA by Lauer Research Inc., in October found that nearly half, or 49 percent of agents had seen or experienced an airport rage incident in the past six months. The survey also found that staffing cuts have resulted in growing customer complaints – both legitimate and unreasonable – affecting overall customer service. CWA represents about 6,000 airport and reservations agents at US Airways.
The most recent Charlotte incident involved an inbound passenger flying from St. Martin. Agents at the gate heard the passenger cursing and knocking over a trash receptacle as he came up the concourse. When the gate agent called for security assistance, the passenger rushed behind the podium and tried to punch the agent. The passenger then grabbed the agent and slammed him into the podium, breaking two of the agent's ribs, reported James Root, president of CWA Local 3641 in Charlotte.
Airport authority management and security were reluctant to take any action against the perpetrator, forcing the agent go to the local magistrate's Charlotte office to swear out an arrest warrant.
CWA is contacting the federal prosecutor for the Charlotte district to have this latest assault case prosecuted under the federal law banning attacks on agents. "This law is about two years old, and prosecutors have not yet used it. We believe that federal prosecution of this case is necessary. At the same time, we're proposing an information program to make clear to passengers that assaults on agents can result in fines and up to 10 years' imprisonment. That's the only way to make certain that the public will take these assaults seriously and to lower the number of incidents that are occurring," said Root.
The "rules of engagement" that determine police intervention must be reviewed to make sure that airport police respond promptly and properly, Root added. "Agents here in Charlotte were stunned to find out that the airport police would not arrest the passenger involved in this incident," he said.
CWA is continuing to meet with US Airways management to work on these and other issues affecting passenger service agents. The union has called on US Airways management to take this issue seriously and to put in place a systemwide program that will help prevent such incidents, coupled with vigorous federal prosecution when such assaults and attacks occur.
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CWA has been pressing US Airways to take action in light of the growing levels of airport rage directed at ticket and gate agents by frustrated passengers.
A scientific survey conducted for CWA by Lauer Research Inc., in October found that nearly half, or 49 percent of agents had seen or experienced an airport rage incident in the past six months. The survey also found that staffing cuts have resulted in growing customer complaints – both legitimate and unreasonable – affecting overall customer service. CWA represents about 6,000 airport and reservations agents at US Airways.
The most recent Charlotte incident involved an inbound passenger flying from St. Martin. Agents at the gate heard the passenger cursing and knocking over a trash receptacle as he came up the concourse. When the gate agent called for security assistance, the passenger rushed behind the podium and tried to punch the agent. The passenger then grabbed the agent and slammed him into the podium, breaking two of the agent's ribs, reported James Root, president of CWA Local 3641 in Charlotte.
Airport authority management and security were reluctant to take any action against the perpetrator, forcing the agent go to the local magistrate's Charlotte office to swear out an arrest warrant.
CWA is contacting the federal prosecutor for the Charlotte district to have this latest assault case prosecuted under the federal law banning attacks on agents. "This law is about two years old, and prosecutors have not yet used it. We believe that federal prosecution of this case is necessary. At the same time, we're proposing an information program to make clear to passengers that assaults on agents can result in fines and up to 10 years' imprisonment. That's the only way to make certain that the public will take these assaults seriously and to lower the number of incidents that are occurring," said Root.
The "rules of engagement" that determine police intervention must be reviewed to make sure that airport police respond promptly and properly, Root added. "Agents here in Charlotte were stunned to find out that the airport police would not arrest the passenger involved in this incident," he said.
CWA is continuing to meet with US Airways management to work on these and other issues affecting passenger service agents. The union has called on US Airways management to take this issue seriously and to put in place a systemwide program that will help prevent such incidents, coupled with vigorous federal prosecution when such assaults and attacks occur.
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