Today, Local 49 front-line workers at the Metropolitan Airports Commission overwhelmingly ratified a new three-year agreement.
The agreement provides well-deserved compensation for the hard-working members who enable the MSP airport to function. With base increases of 14.5% over three years, including 7% in year one, this contract is long overdue for Twin Cities public sector workers. The terms also offer monetary incentives for ongoing training, including courses at Local 49’s world-class training center in Hinckley.
Our members have earned this contract, and we applaud the leadership of the Metropolitan Airports Commission, the Board of Directors, and their Labor Management team for matching their budget with their values.
“I’m happy for our members at the airport,” Business Manager Jason George said. “They are the reason our airport is recognized as one of the best in the nation, and they have earned this contract. It’s also a wake-up call for leaders in Minneapolis and St. Paul who routinely claim to support and value their front-line workers.
“In their most recent agreement, which has expired, St. Paul public works employees got 3.5% total raises for two years. Minneapolis was not much better. Politicians in both cities claim to value workers, but their budgets have not reflected their so-called values. It’s time for the rhetoric and the public relations to match their actions, and it’s time they are held accountable. These workers make the Twin Cities work. They are underpaid based on wage comps we have, and they deserve the same respect that the Metropolitan Airport Commission has shown.”
