Some R.I. lawmakers get behind push to rehire food-service workers at T.F. Green

PROVIDENCE — State politicians have signed a petition urging the Rhode Island Airport Corporation to pursue food-service contracts with bidders that commit to re-hiring laid-off airport employees.

About 120 food-service employees at T.F. Green airport lost their jobs when travel largely shut down in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Earlier this month, the airport corporation put out a request for proposals, seeking two additional restaurant operators to serve the airport as travel starts to pick up again.

The airport corporation, a state agency, has said that it will favor respondents that agree to hire qualified personnel employed by its previous food-service provider, HMSHost.

Many workers were outraged when the airport corporation entered into a speedy contract with Dunkin’ at the end of June when its contract with HMSHost expired. Dunkin’ hired four previously laid-off workers out of 12 positions.

Rodger Allinson, who worked at a warehouse for some of the airport restaurant suppliers before he was laid off in March, said he and other workers want a definitive promise from airport leaders that employees will be brought back to work once travel resumes.

“We’re all looking for a little bit more than to tell us, maybe, eventually, you’ll be able to bring us back to work,” he said. “We want to be assured that we will be brought back to our old jobs.”

Office-holders including Senate President Dominick Ruggerio and multiple state senators and representatives have signed the petition to support workers.

The airport said in a previous statement that it was working to restore jobs, but that the future of the airport’s finances will depend on the outcome of the coronavirus pandemic and how travel is affected in the coming years. The airport estimates that passenger growth over the next year will reach 40% of what it was in 2019.