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Phoenix council approves targeted fixes to heat‑safety ordinance after airport workers describe ongoing dangers
Summary
After months of rollout, Phoenix City Council voted to adopt amendments to the city’s heat‑safety ordinance, adding posting requirements, an employee complaints phone line and new enforcement steps for contractors at Sky Harbor Airport following worker testimony that some trucks remain dangerously hot and water access is inconsistent.
Phoenix City Council on July 2 unanimously approved amendments to the city’s heat‑safety ordinance to add clearer posting requirements, an employee complaints hotline and steps to enforce air‑conditioning in enclosed cabs for vehicles used at Sky Harbor Airport.
The vote followed more than two hours of public testimony from airport workers, labor representatives and union and community advocates who described continuing heat hazards at Sky Harbor and asked the council to strengthen enforcement and protections against retaliation. Councilmember Betty Guardado led the push for today’s changes and said the council would return later this year to consider additional reforms staff and workers raise.
The ordinance changes require contractors to post heat‑safety plans in employee work areas, make a heat‑safety complaint phone number available to employees and give city staff authority to investigate reports of noncompliance. Airport managers also committed to immediate checks at airport vehicle security gates for functioning air conditioning and to issue directives to contract guards to verify cold air is blowing in enclosed cabs. City staff said they will open investigations based on testimony heard at the meeting.
Multiple Sky Harbor workers told council they still face hours without cold water and trucks with air conditioners that fail after short use. “We have about 22 trucks. Out of those 22 trucks, there is only 4 trucks that has working AC units,” SkyChefs driver Filiberto Lares said during public comment, adding that battery‑powered coolers often run out after roughly two hours. Another worker said some shifts run 16 hours and that water deliveries can be delayed for hours.
Unite Here Local 11 and AFSCME representatives endorsed the staff changes but recommended additional steps including formal whistleblower protections, requirements to collect contractor heat safety plans proactively (rather than waiting for complaints) and clearer enforcement for subcontractors. The council incorporated several staff proposals and Guardado asked staff to return in the fall with responses to worker recommendations that remain outstanding.
City staff said the airport has created a new staff position dedicated to heat ordinance compliance and will post a dedicated safety phone number on employee security badges next week. Staff also told council they will seek immediate answers from the employer that testified workers are being prevented from carrying bottled water; the airport’s public‑safety app remains available for anonymous reporting.
Mayor Gallego and multiple councilmembers praised the ordinance’s original passage last year while acknowledging gaps in implementation. Guardado said the city would pursue “stronger measures” to keep workers safe and urged continued monitoring of compliance at the airport.
The council approved the ordinance amendments 9‑0. Officials said the changes take immediate effect where specified and staff will report back on implementation and additional reforms later this year.
