CHARLOTTE — You can travel just about anywhere in the country directly because Charlotte is an American Airlines hub. But American’s lease at Charlotte Douglas International Airport is up soon, and the Airline Use Lease Agreement is one of the biggest things new Charlotte Mayor Rob Harrington will tackle.
He’ll have to thread the needle on the topic where some are pushing for better working conditions as part of the lease despite the limitations of state law.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. The airport is the region’s economic juggernaut. During Harrington’s application process, he told council that it’s important it stays that way.
“It is an economic driver, and it is a municipal priority that we continue to be able to operate the airport and operate it seriously,” he said.
As Charlotte negotiates with carriers, such as American Airlines, Harrington will not only shape the lease, but help oversee its passage.
This is a pivotal moment for Charlotte, and it comes as members of the Service Employees International Union are pushing for higher pay and better benefits for subcontractors in the new agreement. The SEIU does not officially represent the subcontractors but has championed their cause.
SEIU District Director Bernetha Niecy Brown thinks the group can work with Mayor Harrington
“We believe that he has a chance for Charlotte to change if we can work together, work on this lease together to make sure that there are important benefits that will benefit the workers there at the airport,” she said.
Charlotte City Councilman JD Mazuera Arias is arguably the biggest ally of the SEIU on council and was the swing vote for Harrington. He thinks the mayor will hear everyone out.
“The mayor’s office requires a balance of people first and business friendly,” he said. “I think Robert Harrington is a good balance of that.”
The city says the lease agreement doesn’t regulate tenant wages, employee benefits, or community programs, and the city says state law bans them from doing so.
Harrington is an attorney by trade, and Councilman Malcolm Graham says the future mayor won’t advise the city to do anything it cannot.
“That’s why I supported Rob, he’s an attorney,” Graham said. “A lot of the issues coming before Charlotte City Council and the city are issues where we really need an honest broker that we really need someone who understands the law.”
The subcontractors are not employees of the city of Charlotte. Charlotte has a $25/hour minimum wage for city employees.
The lease was originally supposed to expire this June, but the city extended talks for a year.
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