Supervisors Gain Better Pay, Benefits After Unanimous Strike Vote

(PROVIDENCE, R.I.) – Supervisors employed by LAZ Parking at Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport have unanimously ratified their tentative agreement. It will include them in an existing contract with drivers, cashiers, maintenance, and lot inventory workers at the company who are already represented by Teamsters Local 251.

“These negotiations were worker-driven and led from the bottom up, which is why these men and women won strong improvements for themselves,” said Matt Taibi, Local 251 Secretary-Treasurer. “Congratulations to everyone who stuck together and worked hard to make this happen.”

By being included in a contract with their fellow Teamster co-workers, they will receive increased starting wages, pension benefits, improved vacation benefits, more paid holidays, schedule bids based on seniority, and a better health care plan. After bargaining dragged for more than a year, the workers took a unanimous strike authorization vote.

“If these workers had gone on strike, it could’ve shut down the entire airport – that’s how serious they were about getting a strong contract,” said Local 251 Business Agent Tom Salvatore.

“We organized with Teamsters because we saw the industry-leading wages and benefits that the people we worked with were getting,” said David Garofalo, a LAZ worker and member of the bargaining committee. “It was hard work, but it paid off, and it’s an honor to be a Teamster.”

Teamsters Local 251 represents over 6,300 workers in a wide variety of industries throughout Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. For more, go to TeamstersLocal251.org.

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share via email