A new firm is in line to get the contract to manage parking at Denver International Airport, but labor concerns are brewing over the potential change.
Wednesday, members of a Denver City Council committee wrestled with the issue before forwarding it to the full council.
Employees of the current vendor, Ampco System Parking, filled the committee room to listen to the discussion. They have registered concern that their jobs and salaries could be on the line in the change to a new contractor.
Jack Ricchiuto, executive vice president of Cleveland-based Standard Parking, tried to offer assurances, but several council members said they were concerned because his management costs came in so much lower than those submitted by Ampco, which has held the contract since 1997.
The contract is for $70 million over five years, with the possibility for two one-year extensions.
Ampco’s proposal included an annual management fee — money paid to the company by DIA — of nearly $1.3 million. Standard’s bid called for a management fee of $510,000 each year.
Council members Chris Nevitt, Carla Madison, Paul Lopez, Rick Garcia and council President Michael Hancock said the discrepancy seemed large and something seemed awry.
“That raised my eyebrows, and right away I thought that I hope that doesn’t come on the backs of the employees,” Lopez said.
Ricchiuto said his firm does not plan layoffs and has a plan in place to increase salaries.
Nevitt and Lopez said they wanted Standard to provide a management-fee breakdown, similar to the type of detail provided by Ampco.
After the committee meeting, Councilman Charlie Brown, chairman of the committee, said unions representing the parking employees had generated much of the concern.
The Service Employees International Union represents more than 200 Ampco parking employees.
Christopher N. Osher: 303-954-1747 or cosher@denverpost.com
