MIAMI JUNE 8, 2021, NHR.COM— After a lengthy article from Miami Herald realized that Miami International Airport concessionaires would receive relief in their payments to MIA for rent and promises, apparently the mayor Daniella Levine Cava and her team are “backing down,” and it will not be as promised at a previous meeting.
Apparently “dark hands” are moving so that this does not happen, according to our sources.
Miami International Airport has received more than $420 million in relief from COVID-19 and still has not given local Airport concessionaires and their employees a penny of relief as required by federal law.
Miami International Airport has the largest local business presence of any airport in the United States and we wonder, if other airports have had relief due to the terrible pandemic, why is there no relief to MIA dealers? The answer is none other than THE MIAMI DADE COUNTY POLICY.
Miami Dade County and Miami Aviation have not laid off any of their employees, but local concessionaires have had to lay off virtually all employees in April 2020 and as they continue to struggle to stay afloat, the county is not giving them any help, we have learned.
For example, the Atlanta airport has already reduced the rental percentage of concessions by an extensive 50% until 2022 and has given its concessionaires a 4 1/2-year extension to try to make up for the millions of dollars they have lost, “but here neither the mayor nor the commission have done anything.”, we were told. According to our research only 60% of restaurants and commercial premises have been able to reopen in MIA.
Concessionaires have struggled to get their employees back to work, the cost of food and merchandise has increased by up to 30%, however, so far there is no help from the county.
According to our sources, airport director Lester Sola has negotiated with all concessionaires a relief package and Mayor Daniella Levine Cava met with the concessionaires to finalize the agreement that everyone at that meeting agreed to, but there is still no agreement.
Local concessionaires at MIA have agreed to give their employees a 50% increase in wages and benefits from $12 per hour to $18 per hour while still recovering from the pandemic, but still the mayor and commissioners have agreed to an agreement that includes a 7-year extension and a 12% reduction in rent with a 50% increase in employee salaries.
In our research the Atlanta airport gave a 50% reduction in rent and a 4.5 year extension with no employee benefits and its relief is already approved, however there is still no help for local MIA dealers and their employees, and we wonder, why?.
According to our sources, “an International Development Company called Westfield wants to take over all the concession space in MIA, this has been rejected by the mayor and the commission previously because its acquisition plan would cost MIA an extra $300 million dollars.
Westfield knows that, if concessionaires get an extension, their acquisition dream is over. Local dealers know that if Westfield takes over MIA, dealers will lose their business to international companies.
Our sources say the real question to be asked is, who are the lobbyists who are working for Westfield and who leaked anti-local dealership information to the Miami Herald that was so inaccurate that it’s laughable but not surprising.
Why doesn’t the mayor who prides herself on fighting for employees come forward with the agreed-upon agreement that will give more than 10,000 employees a minimum of $18 per hour of pay and benefits?
In nelsonhortareporta.com we will continue to pay attention to this issue, which concerns us all, not just the airport concessionaires.
