Usually there are more than enough seats for the public at monthly Rhode Island Air Corporation meetings, but on Thursday as the board voted on millions of dollars of terminal and exterior improvements there was standing room only.

Union members, some identifiable by yellow vests while janitorial personnel wore blue wanted to hear what companies would win contracts for the work and whether their jobs would be affected. Prior to the start of the meeting board chair Jonathan Savage, RIAC President and CEO Iftikar Ahmad, board vice chair Michael Traficante and RIAC lobbyist Bill Fischer huddled. Then when the meeting started, Savage moved quickly to amend the agenda to address first the largest of the contracts, the $64.6 million Haynes Group LLC bid for the air cargo facility south of the terminal to be occupied by FedEx and UPS.

The Haynes bid was the lowest and came in several million less than what had been projected by RIAC. Nonetheless, with such a union turnout and the fact that Michael Sabitoni, whose labor union roots run deep in Rhode Island and is General Secretary-Treasurer of the Laborers’ International Union of America had flown in from Washington had board members questioning. Might the union fear the contractor would use other than Rhode Island workers? Where they there to show their displeasure of Haynes?

Savage said RIAC “appreciates the relationship we have with the unions.”  He said the unions have contributed to the success of the airport and he thanked them for their support. He added that RIAC is “working to ensure labor harmony.”

While there haven’t been any publically reported issues between RIAC and the Laborers, there have been a simmering disagreements Local 2873 of the RI Council 94 AFSCME  that represents about 100 RIAC employees. By an almost majority of the membership – there was a single opposing vote – the local rejected RIAC’s contract offer last September on the basis of language changes giving RIAC the power to change employee classification without appeal.  

Union members saw it as an effort to break the union and contract for services in their place. A contract was reached in March of this year  with the removal of the language changes. In October 2024, long before then RIAC fired local union president Steven Parent for allegedly discouraging perspective applicants from applying to the airport fire department to ensure overtime pay for himself. While no longer employed by RIAC, Parent continues as president of the union.  He has contested his firing and the case is presently in grievance arbitration.

Sabitoni and the laborers sat quietly through the presentation on the Haynes contract and following unanimous board approval left the room. There is no opportunity for spontaneous public comment at meetings since RIAC implemented a policy that public comment must be submitted by email prior to the meeting.

Outside of the board room, Sabitoni said the union does not have a “project labor agreement” with RIAC yet he would be “working to ensure labor harmony.” He said he trusts the RIAC board and its president and CEO.  Also, he is confident Haynes “will do everything they can” to hire Rhode Island laborers.

Those in the audience wearing blue were members of SEIU. They work in airport concessions and provide janitorial services. They were present for about half the board meeting that focused on the approval of millions of dollars in airport contracts in addition to the Haynes agreement. They left when Savage announced a vote on their contract would be delayed until next month.