McCarran replaces ground operations contractors

Wednesday, April 5, 2000 | 11:03 a.m.

McCarran International Airport is switching ground operations handlers at its international and charter terminal despite pleas from employees of one of the existing contractors.

The Clark County Commission voted Tuesday and today to turn operations over to DynAir Corp., a Swiss company, and Hudson General LLC, a subsidiary of the German airline Lufthansa.

The new contractors replace Signature Flight Support, a division of Signature Aviation of Orlando, Fla.; and Worldwide Flight Services, Dallas.

Ground handlers operating at the international and charter facility, known as Terminal 2, are available to load baggage on planes, clean airliner cabins and check in passengers for airlines using the terminal. Airlines have the option of supplying their own crews or contracting the service and most charter and international carriers don't have enough flights to justify a full-time ground crew at the airport.

Worldwide -- which last year was acquired by New York investors from AMR Corp., owner of American Airlines -- and Signature have been the ground operations handlers since Terminal 2 opened in 1991. Airport officials hired the companies by referral and contracted with the two vendors to ensure competition. They service eight gates, three of which can be used for international flights.

Randy Walker, director of the Clark County Aviation Division, said the county decided in November to issue a "request for qualifications" to bring the most capable operators to the airport after receiving complaints that Signature and Worldwide were inadequate.

Walker said the existing companies didn't have adequate customer service plans, lacked proper training and were slow to respond to suggestions from airport officials. He said service by Worldwide has improved since November, but it still isn't up to what DynAir and Hudson General could offer.

The county received 11 responses, including proposals from Signature and Worldwide. On Tuesday, commissioners approved DynAir to replace Signature and asked Walker to determine if Hudson General would commit to hiring Worldwide employees if it received the contract.

Today, Hudson General officials appeared before the commission and confirmed they would give first preference to Worldwide employees for jobs.

Signature officials had little to say about the decision; Worldwide's employees mounted a campaign to convince commissioners to keep Worldwide as their vendor.

About 35 of Worldwide's 200 employees attended the commission's Tuesday meeting to make their case. An advertisement bearing the names of 101 people supporting Worldwide appeared in Tuesday's Las Vegas Sun and the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Mark Dunkerley, president of Worldwide, said the company, which has similar contracts at 90 airports worldwide, was "absolutely stunned" that it had not been consulted by the county about the decision to replace the company until Friday.

"I knew our customer base was very strongly in our favor on this," Dunkerley said.

For instance, he said the company was singled out as Air Canada's "best station of the year," beating out Air Canada employees at other locations.

Dunkerley acknowledged employees could get jobs with one of the new companies, but some worry they may have to take a pay cut or wouldn't have as flexible hours.

He said most ground handlers make about $6 an hour, but Worldwide's employees average $8, the second-highest rate at the airport behind Northwest Airlines ramp employees. Many Worldwide slots are part-time positions, Dunkerley said, and workers would have to alter their schedules under a new employer. He also said employees have expressed concerns over seniority, vacation time, insurance and other benefits.

Clark County commissioners also expressed concern about the future of Worldwide employees.

DynAir Corp. officials said it would hold onto a significant number of Worldwide employees, but commissioners asked for a stronger commitment from the company.

Sun reporter Adrienne Packer contributed to this report.