As the busiest travel week of the year begins, service workers at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina are off the job. The employees went on strike on Monday, Nov. 25.
Officials with the Service Employees International Union announced the strike. The workers are employed by ABM Industries and Prospect Airport Services.
The two companies work with American Airlines to clean the inside of airplanes, remove trash and transport passengers who need a wheelchair. Several hundred workers earn between $12.50 and $19 an hour. The union issued a statement saying the workers are demanding an end to “poverty wages and respect on the job.”
Managers of the airport expect about 1 million passengers during the Thanksgiving travel season. The season lasts between last Thursday, Nov. 21 and the Monday after Thanksgiving, Dec. 2.
The TSA now predicts it will screen about 18 million flyers between Tuesday, Nov. 26 and Monday, Dec. 2. That would be an increase of 6% from 2023.
Prospect Airport Services responded to the labor action in Charlotte saying the company recognizes the seriousness of the potential for a strike during the busy holiday travel season. ABM Industries said it appreciates the hard work the employees put in to keep spaces clean and people healthy.
