WARWICK – R.I. Airport Corp. on Monday said it has begun the process of firing labor leader Steven Parent for “repeatedly” contacting prospective job candidates to discourage them from working at Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport.
Parent is president of Local 2873 of RI Council 94 AFSCME and also serves as a lieutenant in the airport's fire department. The union represents roughly 120 employees and has been working without a new labor agreement since June.
In a statement Monday, RIAC officials claim Parent “put the department at risk of not meeting safety requirements under Part 139 of federal regulations” and “knowingly and willfully engaged in efforts to sabotage airport operations and violated his fiduciary responsibility.”
According to RIAC, Parent received more than $52,000 in overtime pay due to job vacancies and had direct influence on overtime shift scheduling. He allegedly told his superiors that he made the calls in his “personal capacity.”
“As an officer of the department, his actions amount to gross misconduct,” they said, adding that several of the prospective employees who were contacted have admitted such in writing.
Duc Nguyen, RIAC senior vice president of operations, said Parent’s actions violated the organization's Code of Ethics “which requires all employees to act at the highest moral, professional, and ethical levels, particularly from those in leadership positions.”
Reached for comment Monday, Parent said he was not officially informed of RIAC's desire to terminate his employment, but realized something was amiss after his work badge to access T.F. Green was no longer active Monday. He was later told by a RIAC board member, he said.
Parent declined to comment on the allegations, but speculated it may have been driven by his recent reelection to union president.
Christopher Allen is a PBN staff writer. You may contact him at Allen@PBN.com.