Amerijet International Inc. v. Miami-Dade County

7 F. Supp. 3d 1231, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 28090, 2014 WL 866406
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Florida
DecidedMarch 5, 2014
DocketCase No. 12-22304-Civ
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 7 F. Supp. 3d 1231 (Amerijet International Inc. v. Miami-Dade County) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Amerijet International Inc. v. Miami-Dade County, 7 F. Supp. 3d 1231, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 28090, 2014 WL 866406 (S.D. Fla. 2014).

Opinion

OMNIBUS ORDER ON CROSS-MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

MARCIA G. COOKE, District Judge.

THIS CASE is before me upon Plaintiff Amerijet International, Ine.’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment on Counts I and II (ECF No. 43), and Defendant Miami-Dade County’s Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF No. 51). Both motions before me have been fully briefed and are ripe for adjudication.

I have reviewed both motions, including the respective response and reply, the record, and the relevant authorities. For the reasons provided below, Plaintiff Amerijet International, Inc.’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment on Counts I and II is DENIED, and Defendant Miami-Dade County’s Motion for Summary Judgment is DENIED in part and GRANTED in part.

I. PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

On June 20, 2012, Amerijet International, Inc. brought a declaratory action against Miami-Dade County (the “County”) that sought injunctive relief against the County’s enforcement of the Living Wage Ordinance (the “LWO”), Miami-Dade Code Section 2-8.9, on grounds that the ordinance is unconstitutional on its face and as applied to Amerijet. Specifically, Amerijet avers that the Airline Deregulation Act, the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act, various Transportation Security Administration regulations, and various Open Skies treaties preempt the LWO (Count I). Ameri-jet’s initial Complaint also alleges that the LWO violates the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution (Count II), as well as the Florida Constitution and the Miami-Dade County Home Rule Charter (Count IV)On March 1, 2013, Amerijet filed its First Amended Complaint alleging a violation of the Equal Protection Clause (Count III). Amerijet requests that I declare the LWO unconstitutional and enjoin Miami-Dade County from enforcing the ordinance against Amerijet. The County filed its [1234]*1234Motion to Dismiss the Complaint because Amerijet purportedly lacked standing to challenge the ordinance. Both parties subsequently moved for summary judgment.

II. FACTUAL BACKGROUND

Amerijet International, Inc. (“Amerijet”) is a small air carrier that transports cargo, including property and mail, between the United States and several Caribbean and Latin American countries. Pl.’s Stmnt. of Facts 1, 3. Amerijet’s domestic flights originate and terminate at Miami International Airport (“MIA”). Pl.’s Stmnt. of Facts 5. Miami-Dade County (the “County”), a political subdivision organized under the laws of the State of Florida, is the proprietor of MIA. Amerijet currently has a five-year lease with the County for warehouse space and other flight operations at MIA. PL’s First Amended Compl. 13. In addition to flight operations, Amerijet provides ramp services and in-warehouse cargo handling services (“covered services”) for other airlines. PL’s Stmnt. of Facts 6.

In 1999, the County enacted the Living Wage Ordinance (the “LWO”), Miami-Dade County Ordinance 99-44, Miami-Dade Code 2-8.9, which required that County service contract employees and County employees be paid the prevailing “living wage” rate; however, the ordinance is silent on how the rate would be calculated. Def.’s Stmnt. Facts 11; Miami-Dade Code § 2-8.9. In addition to enacting a “living wage,” the ordinance permits a service contract employee to bring an action for failure to pay the living against that service contractor in any court of competent jurisdiction. Miami-Dade Code 2-8.9. The LWO does not apply to all Miami-Dade County employers; rather, it applies only to employers who provide covered services pursuant to a contract with the County, or employers who transact business at MIA via permit or lease. Def.’s Stmnt. Facts 12-15. General Aeronautical Service Providers (“GASPers”) that provide covered services are required to pay the living wage. Def.’s Stmnt. Facts 14. As it relates to Amerijet, the County has never construed the LWO to apply to an airline that self-performs any covered service with its own work force — only those that sell their services to another airline. Def.’s Stmnt. Facts. 15-17.

In June 2010, Amerijet received correspondence from the Miami-Dade County Department of Small Business Development (the “SBD”), the agency tasked with enforcing the LWO, stating that the SBD was investigating Amerijet’s failure to comply with the LWO for services it provided to British Airways. PL’s Stmnt. Facts 16-17. The investigation was the result of a covered employee’s complaint that Amerijet provided cargo services for British Airways and other airlines without paying the living wage. PL’s Stmnt. Facts ¶ 18. The County Attorney’s Office advised the SBD that the LWO applied to Amerijet because Amerijet provided cargo handling services for a third party. PL’s Stmnt. Facts 22. On April 29, 2011, Am-erijet decided to cease providing covered services for third party airlines, and, instead, outsourced cargo handling to an on — airport ground services contractor. PL’s Stmnt. Facts 27-30. And, in April 2012, several formerly “covered” employees bought suit against Amerijet for back pay and penalties under the LWO. PL’s Stmnt. Facts 31. The suit was subsequently settled out of court, but not before Amerijet brought the instant declaratory action against the County raising the issues addressed in this Order. PL’s Stmnt. Facts 33.

III. CROSS-MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

A. Legal Standard

Summary judgment “shall be granted if the pleadings, depositions, answers to in[1235]*1235terrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” Allen v. Tyson Foods, Inc., 121 F.3d 642 (11th Cir.1997) (quoting Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c)) (internal quotations omitted); Damon v. Fleming Supermarkets of Florida, Inc., 196 F.3d 1354, 1358 (11th Cir.1999). Thus, the entry of summary judgment is appropriate “against a party who fails to make a showing sufficient to establish the existence of an element essential to that party’s ease, and on which that party will bear the burden of proof at trial.” Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). The Court should not grant summary judgment unless it is clear that a trial is unnecessary, and any doubts in this regard should be resolved against the moving party. Adickes v. S.H. Kress & Co., 398 U.S. 144, 157, 90 S.Ct. 1598, 26 L.Ed.2d 142 (1970).

“The moving party bears the initial burden to show the district court, by reference to materials on file, that there are no genuine issues of material fact that should be decided at trial.” Clark v. Coats & Clark, Inc., 929 F.2d 604, 608 (11th Cir.1991). “Only when that burden has been met does the burden shift to the non-moving party to demonstrate that there is indeed a material issue of fact that precludes summary judgment.” Id.

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7 F. Supp. 3d 1231, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 28090, 2014 WL 866406, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/amerijet-international-inc-v-miami-dade-county-flsd-2014.