Service workers at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) have gone on strike during the busy Thanksgiving travel week to protest what they call “poverty wages”.
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which has around 2 million members in healthcare, public services, and property services, represents approximately 700 workers at Charlotte Airport. The union announced that the strike started at 05:00 local time on November 25, 2024.
Striking workers include staff from ABM and Prospect Airport Services. They handle tasks such as cleaning aircraft interiors, taking out the trash, and assisting passengers in wheelchairs at Charlotte Airport, a key hub for American Airlines, which runs most of the flights there.
According to the union, the strike is a part of demand for “an end to poverty wages and respect on the job during the holiday travel season.” Union spokesperson Sean Keady said the strike should last approximately 24 hours.
Workers are striking because they claim they cannot afford essential items like food, housing, and car repairs. Union leaders said many workers live from one paycheck to the next, with most earning between $12.50 and $19 an hour.
A survey from the SEIU union revealed that 40% of service workers at Charlotte Airport face housing insecurity. Additionally, 55% reported difficulties in paying for utilities and even had to sleep outside their homes in the past year because of housing issues and financial problems, local media outlet The Charlotte Post reported on November 25, 2024.
The strike comes as Charlotte Airport anticipates the busiest Thanksgiving travel season ever, expecting around 1.02 million passengers departing the airport.
In a press release published on November 21, 2024, the airport noted that this marks a 7% increase compared to 2023. The busiest days will be November 22, 2024, November 27, 2024, December 1–2, 2024, with more than 90,000 passengers departing each day.