Workers say Flying Food Group locked them in cooler during fire, safety violations alleged

Employees say they were locked inside a cooler room while a fire burned outside at Flying Food Group’s facility, a startling allegation that has pushed the airline caterer’s safety record back into the spotlight. UNITE HERE Local 11 says a pending Cal/OSHA complaint alleges two workers were trapped during the January 22, 2026 fire, the second blaze at the site in four months.

The union says the fire was part of a broader pattern of dangerous conditions, including previous complaints about inadequate sprinklers, alarms, training and other basic protections. Labor advocates have tied the episode to the 115th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, underscoring how quickly a workplace safety dispute can turn into a life-or-death question when exits, alarms and emergency procedures fail.

Flying Food Group is not a name most travelers know, but its work reaches into the airline cabins that carry passengers through San Francisco International Airport and other major hubs. UNITE HERE Local 11 says the company prepares and packages meals and beverages for international carriers including Japan Airlines, ANA, Lufthansa and Air France, serving thousands of passengers each day.

The allegations arrive after years of labor friction in California. On August 17, 2023, the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement issued a $1.2 million citation alleging the company improperly recalled laid-off workers under state SB-93 rules at its Los Angeles and San Francisco facilities. The citation covered 21 workers, including 18 at Los Angeles International Airport and three at San Francisco International Airport.

Flying Food Group’s San Francisco operation was also hit by a Teamsters Local 2785 strike in April 2025. One account said 43 drivers and helpers were on strike in their fourth week on April 26, 2025, and later reporting said the stoppage lasted 62 days before workers returned with a pay raise and back pay. A separate National Labor Relations Board case involving the company was filed in South San Francisco on April 17, 2025.

UNITE HERE Local 11 says Mayor Karen Bass has said she takes the allegations seriously and is engaged with the union and Los Angeles World Airports, which has launched an investigation into possible violations of Flying Food Group’s permit and contractor responsibility policy. The company, founded in Chicago in 1983, now faces renewed scrutiny over whether the people preparing food for airlines were protected from a fire they say should never have put them in harm’s way.