ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE – Apparently last Wednesday’s meeting in Atlanta between Robins Air Force Base officials and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Regional Director Cindy Coe did not resolve differences over OSHA findings affecting Building 169 on base.

OSHA notified base officials on May 28 of 11 “serious” and two “willful” rulings at the Robins work site where some 200 workers fabricate and repair composite components for a variety of aircraft.

Last Wednesday’s meeting was billed as a formal appeal to Coe, particularly of the “willful” findings. OSHA public affairs director Mike Wald would not comment on the meeting except to say the issues remained outstanding.

However, Tom Scott, president of American Federation of Government Employees Local 987, said the session did not go well for base officials. Local 987 is the bargaining unit for most civilian workers at Robins.

“OSHA got on to them – that they put employee health and safety at risk and then claim to be a Voluntary Protection Program site that is supposed to apply a higher OSHA safety and health standard,” Scott reported.

He said OSHA did not mitigate or change any of the findings nor did the federal agency approve the base’s abatement actions.

Robins officials would only confirm that Wednesday’s meeting provided the “opportunity to discuss the citations and our actions in relation to them in further detail.”

Base spokesman John Birdsong said, “The health and safety of our people is our number one concern and we will continue to partner with AFGE Local 987 and OSHA to ensure our employees continue to have safe work conditions.”

Since the OSHA report was released, Scott has notified Warner Robins Air Logistics Center Commander Maj. Gen. Polly Peyer of the union’s intention to withdraw from the base’s VPP program.

VPP has been the centerpiece of worker safety at Robins for the past several years. The program stresses use of protective equipment and employee responsibility for their own safety and the well-being of co-workers.

In a June 22 letter, Scott cited “lack of management concern for employee safety and health” and “unwarranted blame funneled at employees” as reasons for the action.

Robins can elevate its concerns to a binding meeting between the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force and the national OSHA office. Whether they plan to do that is unclear.

Scott in a Monday response to query said Robins officials were apparently reviewing the case file used by OSHA to issue the rulings.

“Then I gather (Robins) will determine if they will elevate their case to Washington D.C.,” he noted.

The union head said he did not believe the follow-on appeal would be successful. “I don’t foresee OSHA changing their position very much if at all,” he added.