Service employees at Charlotte Douglas International Airport went on strike Monday morning during a busy week of Thanksgiving travel, according to the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
ABM and Prospect Airport Services employees voted Friday to strike to demand higher wages. According to To the Associated Press.
✈️ workers on strike @CLT Airport They voted to go on strike just days before Thanksgiving over what they called “unfair labor practices and poverty wages.”
Full text: https://t.co/8Ioa38mMkz pic.twitter.com/ZjlVBXtq4a
— WBTV News (@WBTV_News) November 25, 2024
According to the Associated Press, SEIU announced the suspension of operations early Monday as disgruntled employees protested demanding “an end to poverty wages and respect for their work during the holiday travel season.”
Hundreds of employees were expected to attend. Union spokesman Sean Keady said the union plans to maintain a 24-hour work stoppage. Union spokeswoman Anna Tinsley said it was unclear how many employees would participate.
A strike by ABM and Prospect Airport Services employees is expected to result in the suspension of services such as cleaning aircraft, disposing of trash, and accompanying passengers with disabilities.
“Today we are on strike because this is our last resort. We cannot continue to live like this,” ABM housekeeper Priscilla Hoyle told the outlet in a statement. . “We are taking action because our families cannot survive.”
Striking airport workers told the outlet they had previously expressed concerns about not being able to pay for food and housing. Most employees earn between $12.50 and $19 an hour, union officials said. (Related article: America's largest Turkish company launches new product that could change Thanksgiving for many)
Disgruntled airport workers also plan to host a late-night rally followed by a “strike” lunch, union officials said. Representatives said the lunch replaces “a Thanksgiving meal that many workers will not be able to afford this week.”
“Airport service workers make holiday travel possible by keeping airports safe, clean and operational,” the union told The Associated Press. “Despite their important role in the profits enjoyed by large corporations, many airport service workers must work two or three jobs to make ends meet.”
ABM responded to the worker strike by promising to minimize disruption to its operations.
“At ABM, we appreciate the efforts of our team members every day to support our customers, keep our spaces clean, and keep people healthy,” said a company statement released the week before the strike. It is being
Prospect Airport Service also acknowledged the severity of the strike during the busy holiday travel season.
