Thanksgiving travel chaos looms as airport workers strike

Service workers at Charlotte Douglas International Airport have gone on strike during one of the busiest Thanksgiving travel weeks in the airport‘s history.

Workers are protesting “poverty wages” they describe as unlivable.

Employees of ABM and Prospect Airport Services, who handle tasks including aircraft cleaning, trash removal, and assisting wheelchair-bound passengers, voted Friday to authorize the strike.

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The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) announced the action Monday morning, citing demands for better pay and “respect on the job during the holiday travel season.”

Wage Levels vs. Cost of Living in Charlotte

The strike highlights growing frustration among airport workers who say their wages cannot keep up with the cost of living.

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Many workers earn between $12.50 and $19 an hour—well below what the MIT Living Wage Calculator considers sufficient for a single person with no children in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“We’re on strike today because this is our last resort. We can’t keep living like this,” ABM cabin cleaner Priscilla Hoyle said in a statement. “We’re taking action because our families can’t survive.”

Charlotte Douglas International Airport expects to process more than one million passengers between last Thursday and the Monday after Thanksgiving, making this holiday travel season the busiest on record.

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Demonstrations include an 11 a.m. rally and a 1 p.m. “Strikesgiving” lunch “in place of the Thanksgiving meal that many of the workers won’t be able to afford later this week,” union officials confirmed.

‘Critical Role’ During Peak Holiday Season

ABM and Prospect Airport Services are contracted by American Airlines to provide essential services at the airport.

Both companies acknowledged the strike, but said they would work to limit disruptions.

In a statement last week, ABM said it valued its employees’ contributions, adding, “At ABM, we appreciate the hard work our team members put in every day to support our clients and help keep spaces clean and people healthy.”

“Airport service workers make holiday travel possible by keeping airports safe, clean, and running,” SEIU officials said in a statement. “Despite their critical role in the profits that major corporations enjoy, many airport service workers must work two to three jobs to make ends meet.”

Prospect Airport Services similarly addressed the strike’s timing, stating that it recognizes the seriousness of a labor dispute during a peak travel season.

Will Thanksgiving Travelers Support the Workers?

Lashonda Barber, a trash truck driver for ABM, said employees have long been advocating for unionization and currently do not receive paid sick leave or vacation time.

“This is very important, and the strike vote will hopefully make a difference,” Barber said.

Barber added that the decision to vote for a 24-hour strike will be financially challenging.

“To lose a day of work, it’s going to hurt us in the long run,” she said.

How the strike will impact travelers is yet to be seen. Nemiah Sydney, of Atlanta, was traveling through the airport on Friday and said he supported the workers voting to strike, although he hoped it would not affect his travel plans.

“They got families they got to take care of. They gotta fight for a better wage,” Sydney said, calling them “essential” to the airport’s key functions.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press