CHARLOTTE — Charlotte Douglas International Airport airport workers will be holding a strike Thursday morning as Memorial Day travel begins.
This is expected to kick off at 5:30 a.m. and will start with a picket line set up at the CLT arrivals level, between doors 3 and 4.
A second picket line will then form at 8 a.m. at the corner of Wilkinson Blvd. and N. Josh Birmingham Parkway.
This will be followed by a rally and press conference at 1:30 p.m. at the corner of Wilkinson Blvd. and N. Josh Birmingham Parkway.
Workers said they would be demanding that airline service providers commit to respecting, protecting, and paying airport service workers fair wages.
“Planes can’t take off without us, but I have to work three jobs so I can support my family,” said Lisoley Gutierrez, an ABM cabin cleaner who services American Airlines planes. “I leave early in the morning and don’t come back until after my kids are asleep. I’ve missed out on birthdays and family celebrations because I’m always working. We contribute to the huge profits of the airline industry; we should be paid fairly for our hard work.”
With another likely record-breaking summer travel season upon us, workers for ABM and Jetstream who service American Airlines and Southwest are raising alarms about the growing crisis within the airport.
“It doesn’t matter who signs our paychecks; these corporations earn billions of dollars off our backs,” said Shonda Barber, an ABM trash truck driver who services American Airlines. “We’re short-staffed because the pay and benefits are not enough for what we do. We need to be paid what we’re worth so they can retain experienced workers like me. That’s a win-win situation for workers and for passengers.”
Airport workers said they make travel possible for passengers by keeping airports safe, clean, and running. However, despite their critical role in the profits that airlines and major corporations enjoy, many airport service workers must work two to three jobs to make ends meet.
They said they are servicing billion-dollar corporations while working without healthcare, paid leave, or sufficient protections on the job. In Charlotte, airport workers are paid as little as $14 an hour, with few, if any, benefits. Meanwhile, the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Charlotte is $1834 a month.
Workers said they have been fighting for good jobs since 2023, speaking out and even being arrested in peaceful protest to demand safe working conditions amid extreme heat and good jobs for every airport service worker.
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