Workers at New York’s three major airports have had to endure extreme heat, unsafe working conditions, and wage theft. And this week — which happens to be Workers Memorial Week — their employer, Alliance Ground International (AGI), has been cited in a new report as one of the worst employers in the country.
In its annual “Dirty Dozen” Report, the National Conference on Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH), which cites Documented’s reporting, flagged AGI for numerous workplace safety violations across the country.
As one of the fastest-growing ground handling companies in North America, AGI employs over 12,000 workers across 62 airports in both the United States and Canada. On its website, the company lists safety as its paramount principle, claiming to “put the safety of our employees above all else.”
AGI did not respond to Documented’s request for comment on the report.
According to the report, the company’s safety record demonstrates numerous workplace safety violations. Between 2016 and 2024, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fined AGI for 18 workplace safety violations across multiple states, totaling $187,266 in penalties. Some of the cases were for repeat and willful offenses, according to OSHA.
In a case that occurred at LaGuardia Airport in 2024, one worker, with the assistance of the union 32BJ SEIU, filed an unfair labor practice charge against AGI with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for allegedly suspending him when he asked his manager for water during his shift. The case is still pending.
In another incident at Newark Airport in 2025, workers filed a complaint with the New Jersey Department of Labor with support from 32BJ SEIU, alleging that AGI owed its employees $2 million in back pay for failing to provide them with paid time off, holidays, and hourly health and welfare supplements.
“It’s clear that these issues are national – and urgent.”
—Rob Hill, Airports Director for 32BJ SEIU
“Whether it’s handling sensitive cargo, cleaning, unloading, and directing the planes, or making sure baggage makes it into the hands of passengers, AGI’s employees are doing the essential work of keeping our airports running each and every day,” said Rob Hill, Airports Director for 32BJ SEIU in a statement to Documented. “In New York and New Jersey, AGI workers have been speaking out about their working conditions. Now, as AGI is named to the National COSH “Dirty Dozen” list of companies with significant workplace safety concerns, it’s clear that these issues are national – and urgent.”
The company has also failed to file OSHA 300 forms that include detailed data regarding workplace injuries, according to OSHA data. Federal regulations require that employers of establishments with at least 20 workers submit the form to OSHA annually. Yet, OSHA data shows that AGI has not submitted its data for dozens of worksites, including LaGuardia Airport.
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Jessica E. Martinez, Executive Director, National COSH, says that AGI’s safety record speaks to larger issues across the industry.
“AGI’s inclusion in the Dirty Dozen reflects broader problems across the aviation industry, where workers are bearing the brunt of mounting operational pressures, often at the expense of safety,” she told Documented in a statement. “These are not isolated failures. They are the result of a system that prioritizes speed and profit over people.”
The report comes as the Trump Administration has reduced funding for OSHA, whose roughly 1,850 inspectors are responsible for more than 130 million workers across eight million workplaces. Since 2025, the agency has seen a 45 percent reduction in workplace health and safety violation penalties.
