Miami International Airport workers split the runway in Miami mayoral race

Looks like the airport vote is boarding two different flights in the Miami mayor’s race.
On Friday, former Miami City Manager Emilio González rolled out the endorsement of AFSCME Local 1542, the county workers union that represents the rank-and-file who keep Miami International Airport running — the mechanics, baggage handlers, maintenance crews, and the rest of the behind-the-scenes army. They praised González for lifting morale back when he ran MIA, giving workers “a renewed sense of purpose.”
“Emilio led with fairness and professionalism, setting an example as a dedicated leader who never lost sight of the people—union members — whose hard work powers MIA’s success,” said union President Antonio Eiroa. “Emilio Gonzalez is a leader of
honesty, accountability, vision, and character. We know he will bring those same values to City Hall as Miami’s next mayor where [he] will prioritize the needs of workers and public.”
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Said Gonzalez: “Treating workers with fairness and professionalism is the least we can offer on behalf of Miami residents who rely on good contracts and negotiations to deliver services fairly and effectively. I will ensure that the permitting and bidding process is done legally, fairly, and open to public scrutiny because I believe in government accountability which has been lacking in our city for too long.”
Whoa there, says Miami-Dade Commissioner Eileen Higgins, who has long considered herself the working people’s representative.
Higgins announced Monday that 32BJ SEIU — one of the biggest unions in Florida with more than 195,000 members, including airport cleaners, security guards, and janitors — is backing her campaign. They call her a “true champion for working families,” reminding everyone that she fought to expand living wage protections, stood with strikers on the picket line, and even testified before Congress about poor working conditions at MIA. That was before the recent poor conditions.
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“She has always stood with working people,” said Helene O’Brien, Florida District Director of 32BJ SEIU. “From expanding living wage protections to fighting for affordable housing and safer communities, to supporting commercial office janitors in their fight to raise standards, Eileen has proven herself as a true champion for working families.
“Miami needs a leader who puts residents first — and Eileen Higgins has the track record to deliver,” O’Brien said.
Said Higgins: “Workers keep our city running — they deserve fair pay, safe workplaces, and a government that has their back. As mayor, I’ll keep fighting to make Miami more affordable, opportunity-rich, and fair for everyone who calls this city home.”
So which one is the “workers’ choice” now? Depends on which terminal you’re standing in.
Higgins has the service workers in purple shirts, the janitors and security officers who greet travelers and scrub the terminals. González has the county employees in green, the ones who fix the broken belts and make sure the lights stay on. Both groups claim the high ground on integrity, accountability, and fighting for working people.
Read related: Poll has Eileen Higgins in Miami mayoral runoff with Emilio Gonzalez
Ladra’s take? The split shows how fractured Miami politics is — even at the airport. Instead of one big union army delivering a united front, the workers are divvied up like everything else in this town: by loyalties, leadership, and which candidate makes them feel heard.
It also sets up a nice little battle of contrasts between the two candidates that a recent poll have heading into a runoff: Higgins the progressive policy wonk with labor cred versus González the ex–airport CEO and retired Army colonel with managerial cred. The question is whether voters care who has more endorsements at Concourse D or if they’re more worried about corruption and skyrocketing rents at home.
Either way, both candidates just planted their campaign flags on MIA’s tarmac. And if the workers themselves are divided, it’s because that’s how Miami feels.
There are 12 other candidates who have expressed an interest in running, including former Miami-Dade Commissioner Xavier Suarez, former Miami Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla and termed-out Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo, who hasn’t filed any paperwork but keeps hinting that he might run. Only former Miami Commissioner Ken Russell and Laura Anderson, a candidate affiliated with the socialist workers party, have qualified so far. The deadline to qualify for the Nov. 4 race is Sept. 20. That’s Saturday.

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