Airlines’ Outsourcing of Ground Work Decried at House Hearing

Increased outsourcing in the U.S. airline industry is resulting in inadequate pay and dangerous working conditions for employees such as baggage handlers, aircraft cleaners, and caterers, witnesses told a House panel Wednesday.

Eulen America, a subcontractor for American Airlines Inc. and Delta Air Lines Inc., came in for particularly intense criticism. The company mistreats workers and discourages them from reporting problems, said Esteban Barrios, a ramp worker employed by Eulen at Miami International Airport.

“Sometimes I’m lifting almost 300 bags a day by myself,” resulting in work-related injuries such as fractured fingers and dehydration, Barrios told the House Transportation and ...