BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — The Canaveral Port Authority is projecting more than $237 million in operating revenue for 2026 — and the union representing roughly 100 port employees says it’s time for a pay raise.
Kevin Smith, the President for the Transport Workers Union of America Local 525 told us, “When you’re making less than $20 an hour and somebody offers you a 4% increase and it’s less than a dollar, it doesn’t impact anything.
But if you give somebody a 4 percent increase who’s making $200,000 and above, it’s an incredible increase.” According to Smith, a recent post proposal would have raised pay for parking employees by .72 cents per hour, while
skilled trade workers would have seen increases of up to $1.49 an hour. With the offer voted down, Smith says the union and the port are at an impasse. A special magistrate is expected to help mediate the dispute. Smith told us,
“I’m okay with the salaries at the top, but it needs to come down to the workers that are on the ground.”
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