A Boston-based civil rights group claims “discriminatory business practices” occurred at Logan International Airport, and has requested the Federal Aviation Administration to research.
The grievance is a couple of contract that entails Massachusetts Port Authority, which manages the airport, and two distributors, multinational promoting firm JCDecaux and Black-woman-owned public relations agency Colette Phillips Communications.
“In 2013, Massport awarded JCDecaux a nine-year concession contract to provide advertising and sponsorship services at Logan Airport,” Lawyers for Civil Rights wrote in a letter to the FAA.
“To win the contract, JCDecaux subcontracted with CPC, promising a genuine and meaningful partnership. Once the contract was awarded, however, JCDecaux treated CPC as an obstacle.”
According to the civil rights group, JCDecaux refused to supply CPC with entry to the data and books of their three way partnership, leaving the subcontractor “in the dark” on “crucial business decisions.”
This is an issue, the group says, as a result of the partnership was topic to federal Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise obligations.
The ACDBE program is a means by which the feds guarantee equal alternative for deprived companies, and “avoids funneling taxpayer dollars into an exclusionary contracting system.”
“In order to operate as Congress intended, the ACDBE program requires majority-owned firms to work in good faith to meet its goals, and requires vigorous oversight by the agency receiving FAA funding,” the letter acknowledged.
“JCDecaux has persistently failed to meet its obligations under the ACDBE program and the Massachusetts Port Authority has failed to exercise appropriate oversight.”
According to the letter, the contract between JCDecaux and Massport created a requirement the place the promoting agency would generate 11.5% of whole annual gross income as ACDBE income to fulfill their federal obligations.
However, the letter claims that JCDecaux frequently thwarted CPC’s efforts to try to safe promoting income at Logan Airport.
A spokesperson for JCDecaux denied the allegations made by Lawyers for Civil Rights, saying they had been “deeply disturbing because they are false and mislead the public about our longstanding track record of compliance.”
“More important, they fail to acknowledge JCDecaux’s deep commitment to treating all of our employees and partners with respect and fairness,” the spokesperson stated.
“We work diligently to be a leader in diversity, equity and inclusion and work hard to fulfill the goals of the Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise on a daily basis.”
According to Lawyer’s for Civil Rights, Massport additionally failed to supply correct oversight, and continued to approve the agency’s lower-than-agreed-upon ACDBE participation charges of roughly 5%.
Lawyers for Civil Rights additionally claims JCDecaux used a “deceptive” formulation to calculate larger participation charges, and figures had been a lot decrease, at roughly 0.6%.
CPC ended up terminating the connection in 2021, the letter acknowledged.
“For over 35 years, I have built my business into one of Boston’s premier public relations firms, but JCDecaux never took me seriously or treated me fairly,” stated Colette Phillips, CEO of CPC. “When I went to Massport, they essentially looked the other way.”
The civil rights group desires the FAA to require Massport to conduct an audit of JCDecaux’s participation within the federal program, and examine Massport’s compliance as effectively.
“Massport complies with the requirements of the ACDBE program at all times,” a Massport spokesperson stated. “We understand there is a request to the FAA to review this matter. Should the FAA undertake such a review, Massport would cooperate fully.”
The spokesperson for JCDecaux stated the promoting agency’s three way partnership with CPC was ended 18 months in the past, “by mutual agreement,” and that it was “always ready to discuss her concerns with her, even now.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com”