PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. – You might think $200 million a year from cruise revenue could mean some nice raises for workers at Port Canaveral, but while that’s been true for the port’s management, a union president is arguing there hasn’t been a fair share across the board.
Kevin Smith of Transport Workers Union 525 told Port Canaveral Community Correspondent James Sparvero the union has been at the bargaining table with the port for almost four months without reaching a deal.
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“What’s offered at the table as their last, best, and final is mere pennies to what is being given to the director level, and supervisor level, and everybody above them,” Smith said at the port on Monday.
While the port’s top positions, like CEO Captain John Murray, now make more than $600,000 a year, Smith said some of his workers are struggling to make ends meet.
“The wage increases that were offered to them is less than a dollar, and during these economic difficulties, everybody is suffering,” the TWU president said.
Smith provided a chart of the proposed raises, and the lowest on the list was for parking employees.
That wage is just $36,000 now, and the proposed raise is just 72 cents.
“We’re at the point right now where we’re putting our foot down, and we are gonna stand strong together as an organization and make sure that we bring these wages up and make sure that they are enjoying their lives a little bit better,” Smith said.
Port Canaveral told Sparvero that at one point over the last four months, there was a tentative agreement reached with the union.
Smith, though, said that was before the union started looking into the raises the port’s management is receiving.
Just like bitter negotiations between Brevard County and its firefighters this year, Smith said this butting of heads is also headed towards an impasse.