Would it have been so hard for the crew to enlist the aid of a couple of luggage handlers or security guys to assist the man? Oh...wait; they got a UNION...they don’t do stuff like that!
Once upon a time I almost got fired for moving computer equipment from one side of a building to the other.
True story.
The baggage handlers are not upstairs on the jetway unless required and the security people would absolutely not do something like that. There are contract assisted movement people who have to be called for liability reasons at all major airports - especially SFO and IAD.
The IAM contract doesn’t prohibit GSA’s from helping the contract people, but the contractor itself would.
The issue here is that the contractor did not respond in time, probably because they were stretched thin that day.
Which is typically due to underbidding the contract to get it.
Also because someone with bad intentions can sue them
“ow my back, you carried me wrong. I’m calling my lawyer!”