Charlotte airport workers walk out for better wages

MICHAEL RAMIREZ

Contract workers at Charlotte Douglas International Airport held a strike vote on Nov. 22 to demand improved pay and work conditions. The workers walked off the job for 24 hours on Nov. 25.

Charlotte airport workers are on “Strikesgiving” to push for better pay and work conditions.

Charlotte Douglas International Airport contractors started a 24-hour work stoppage Monday at 5 a.m. to demand their employers address what organizers describe as a “poverty wage crisis.” The workers, who are employed by American Airlines contractors ABM and Prospect, perform services like cleaning plane cabins and pushing wheelchair passengers between planes and the airport terminal.

“I am tired of struggling and living paycheck to paycheck," says Dorothy Griffin, an ABM Pro Shop worker. “Sometimes I can’t even order a week’s worth of groceries after I pay my bills because I barely make anything. I’m late on my rent payment now because my paycheck just didn’t cover it.”

Thanksgiving kicks off a busy travel season across the United States, with a record-shattering 1 million passengers expected at Charlotte Douglas International Airport between Nov. 21-Dec. 2.

The strike comes during a long-running campaign to raise awareness of a growing poverty and housing crisis for airport workers, who demand living wages and better work standards at the airport, including access to drinking water. Most service workers earn between $12.50-$19 an hour, while the living wage for a single person with no children in the Charlotte region is $23.26 an hour.
Organizers say some workers are now homeless, sleep in their cars, or are threatened by eviction.

“Right now, I am homeless,” said Timothy Lowe II, a wheelchair agent at Prospect. “I am one of the workers who are the heart and soul of travel and help people who need wheelchair service get to their destination. I love helping passengers get home for the holidays, but it’s hard when my only affordable option for a home is a storage unit.”

A survey by Service Employees International Union found 40% of Charlotte Douglas service workers reported housing insecurity. Fifty-five percent say they have struggled to pay for utilities or have slept outside of their own home over the last year due to housing insecurity or other financial circumstances.

“It’s outrageous that Charlotte airport workers are enduring homelessness and housing instability due to their low wages,” said Ismaail Qaiyim, a member of Charlotte Housing Justice Coalition. “We’ve had to help airport workers fight eviction, and some even move into temporary housing and hotels when they suddenly lose their housing due to lack of funds. These are working people and it’s unacceptable that many of them don't know where they’re sleeping tonight.”

Organizers say many airport service workers must work additional jobs to make ends meet and the majority don’t get benefits like paid vacation or sick days.

“I am a single mother of five,” said Priscilla Hoyle, an ABM cabin cleaner. “Imagine having to look your babies in the face and tell them they soon may have to leave their home, even though Mommy has a full-time job. I am constantly faced with tough decisions and must make sacrifices to keep food on the table and a roof over my family’s head. One job should be enough.”

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