A strike by support services workers at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport – one of the busiest hubs in the U.S. – has not yet disrupted air travel in the Carolinas.
The strike is expected to last 24 hours, but the timing, during a week in which officials at Charlotte-Douglas expect a record 1 million travelers to pass through the city, is a purposeful statement by the striking workers.
As of Monday afternoon, officials at the Federal Aviation Administration and Charlotte-Douglas said operations at the airport are normal.
Officials at Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport and Charleston International Airport Monday reported no effects from the strike.
The workers are employees of private contractors ABM Airline Services and Prospect Airport Services. They clean the interiors of planes, including bathrooms, post-flight, clean airport facilities, and assist unaccompanied minors and passengers with disabilities and mobility issues in their travels.
The workers say they chose this week to strike to call attention to what they call low pay for rough working conditions.
“We are not being treated fair,” said Rasheeda Paige at a rally for the workers across from the airport Monday. “We're not getting fair wages.”
Paige works for Prospect, assisting passengers getting on and off flights and through the airport. She also belongs to the Service Employees Internation Union, or SEIU.
Paige said that her working conditions are rough on her body.
“Since I've been working here,” she said, “the doctors say I damaged a soft tissue on my left foot for all the walking. It's a lot, lots and lots and lots of walking.”
Arshad Zaidi is a UM agent, which means he works with unaccompanied minors. Zaidi said he was told when he got hired by Prospect to expect to walk seven to 10 miles per day.
“I'll walk at least 12 to 13 every single day,” he said. “I've heard that some of them [other UMs] are walking 20 miles a day. That’s how hard they’re working.”
Often without breaks for lunch, he said, and often under pressure to move more passengers that he’s already assisting.
When asked how management has responded, Zaidi said, “there's no point in taking complaints to management because they don't accept them. There's nowhere to complain.”
In a statement, Suzanne Mucklow, a spokeswoman for Prospect, said: “We recognize the seriousness of airport workers striking, particularly during the busy holiday travel season, and remain fully committed to addressing concerns and minimizing any disruptions to our operations during this critical time.
“Prospect Airport Services is proud to provide higher wages, experienced leadership, and comprehensive benefits to all our employees, including the dedicated team members working at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. We prioritize consistent and transparent communication with all our employees, ensuring they receive fair compensation and robust career advancement opportunities.
“We support and elevate our employees nationwide and take immense pride in our contribution to the aviation industry and in fostering the growth of our exceptional workforce.
“As we navigate this matter, we remain steadfast in our commitment to maintaining the highest standards of service for our customers while supporting our team members.”
But workers like Laura Kelly say wages are so bad at her job – assisting passengers in wheelchairs at Charlotte-Douglas – that she and her family are on the brink of being evicted from an extended-stay hotel they’ve been living in.
“As I’m out here striking to get more money and get the respect that me and my fellow employees deserve,” Kelly said, “my family’s on the verge of having to live in our car.”
She said she personally knows colleagues at the airport who already live in their cars and use the airport’s facilities to wash up for work.
Kelly makes $14.50 per hour – a common wage among the roughly 75 striking workers who marched just across from Charlotte-Douglas’ main gate Monday morning. Kelly said she and her colleagues are asking for $18 to $20 per hour.
Chris Baumann said , southern regional director of SEIU, said that efforts to resolve the workers’ complaints with officials have gone nowhere.
“We've gone to the mayor and city council repeated times to ask them to sit down and meet with the workers,” Baumann said at the march Monday. “They turned their back on us. And so this is what the workers had to do.”
The workers do plan to return to work Tuesday, but say they will continue to speak out.
City officials did not respond to requests for comment before this story published.
Representatives from Charlotte-Douglas said they encourage travelers to doublecheck with their airlines if their flights are routing through Charlotte.
According to the Associated Press, American Airlines — the major carrier at Charlotte-Douglas — is not expecting major delays due to the strike.
ABM Airline Services, which employs many cleaning professionals at Charlotte-Douglas, did not respond to requests for comment before this story was published.
This story may be updated as it develops.
