Workers at one of America's biggest airports are on strike just before Thanksgiving
As America’s busiest-ever Thanksgiving flying period begins, workers at one airport are throwing a wrench into operations with a work stoppage. The Associated Press reports that the strike, a 24-hour labor action at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina, has been initiated by service workers employed by ABM and Prospect Airport Service in pursuit of better wages and working conditions.
“Airport service workers make holiday travel possible by keeping airports safe, clean, and running,” their union, Service Employees International Union, said in a statement to Charlotte-area CW affiliate WCCB. The striking workers are the ones who handle trash disposal and the escort of wheelchair-using passengers.
WBTV, the Charlotte-area affiliate for CBS, reported last week that the workers voted to take the action because many of them are worried about increasing living costs. Forty percent of members polled said they were experiencing housing insecurity.
They do not handle flight operations, and the flight-tracking website FlightAware shows that Charlotte Douglas has no cancellations and few runway delays. It is North Carolina’s largest airport, and among U.S. airports, it’s the ninth-largest, a major hub for American Airlines and a frequent stop for flyers traveling throughout the southeast.
As part of their work stoppage, WCCB reports, the workers will hold a “Strikesgiving” potluck for those on the picket line that union officials say will take the “place of the Thanksgiving meal that many of the workers won’t be able to afford later this week.”
