The North Carolina Department of Labor is citing Piedmont Airlines, a regional subsidiary of American Airlines, with a penalty of $19,600 in its investigation of Kendrick Hudson’s death at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
Hudson, a 24-year-old baggage handler for Piedmont Airlines, died last August after the baggage tug he was driving overturned. Police say Hudson had swerved to avoid a piece of luggage on the tarmac.
Hudson’s parents, Erika Vernon and Leon Hudson, have recently filed a lawsuit against American Airlines and the city of Charlotte.
The Labor Department cited the airline for three “alleged serious violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of North Carolina,” according to department spokeswoman Natalie Bouchard.
The company has 15 days from receipt of the citation to contest the penalty with the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission of North Carolina.
Money collected through penalties are distributed to the public school system by the Civil Penalty and Forfeiture Fund, according to the department.
Safety concerns
Alex Hilliard, who represents Hudson’s parents in its lawsuit, said Wednesday that more action needs to taken.
“OSHA citations are a step in the right direction, if Piedmont and their owner American decide to implement changes,” Hilliard said. “The citation... is not significant enough, but it’s one more step in the right direction, towards American Airlines hopefully realizing there is a safety problem and it needs to be fixed.”
American Airlines received the citation Wednesday afternoon, spokeswoman Crystal Byrd said the airline.
“We are currently reviewing the information provided, and will use it to work with the city of Charlotte, the airport and our labor groups to continually increase the level of workplace safety for our team members,” American Airlines said in a statement. “Our thoughts continue to be with Kendrick’s family and friends.”
The Department of Labor cited Piedmont for three violations: not all employees were wearing seat belts during department inspections, no evaluations of tug operators were being conducted and tugs were not examined or inspected after each shift.
The department also recommended that Piedmont Airlines perform a lighting study around the area, including “especially dark” areas like the E Concourse.
The city-owned airport commissioned a lighting study last year, but has not yet disclosed or implemented the findings, the airport said in a statement last week.
Piedmont agents represented by CWA Local 3645 had been warning the airline about the lighting concerns for months before Hudson’s death, union Vice President Donielle Prophete has told the Observer.
The lighting was so bad near E Concourse that agents call it “Death Valley,” Prophete said. And she hasn’t seen any changes in lighting since Hudson died.
Vernon and Leon Hudson spoke to media at the airport Tuesday afternoon, saying they need to see major changes from American Airlines.
“I just want them to be held accountable for what’s going on because this feeling — I never intended to bury my son,” Vernon said Tuesday.
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