Black labor matters, so don’t undervalue or play us cheap

SEIU

Dorothy Griffin, who services American Airlines as a contract worker at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, challenges city leaders to support better pay and benefits at the worlds sixth-largest airport.

Every February, Black History Month brings in a wave of showcases, events, and celebrations honoring Black culture and its contributions. But Black workers like me who help power one of the city’s largest economic engines, Charlotte Douglas International Airport, are often left out of that recognition, even as we continue to fight against inequalities and poverty.

I’m a Charlotte Airport worker who services American Airlines. I’ve done everything from cleaning bathrooms and terminals, to making sure cabin cleaners have cleaning supplies and equipment, to sanitizing planes and searching for anything that could hurt someone mid-air. But my pay isn’t enough to make ends meet. Sometimes I have to choose between paying bills and eating. 

Contracted airline workers like me keep the traveling public safe every day. We clean the planes to protect you from diseases, guide the disabled and elderly to their destinations, and escort children who are traveling alone. We are part of a long tradition of Black workers who have powered this country’s transportation systems.

For generations, Black workers built and operated our railroads and other forms of transit. Many of those workers formed the first Black led union, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car porters, winning dignity on the job and helping to lay the foundation for the Civil Rights Movement. Now, as modern-day transportation workers at CLT, we’re continuing that tradition of fighting for respect and fair treatment.  

The Charlotte airport has rapidly grown to become the sixth-busiest airport in the world, welcoming almost 60 million passengers in 2024. The majority of that growth has benefited American Airlines, which operates close to 90% of flights at CLT. But the Black workers that power those profits are stuck in dead end jobs, with poverty wages, unaffordable healthcare, and short staffing. Some of my coworkers can’t afford a roof over their heads and sleep in their cars or at the airport. 

Making $15.50 an hour is not enough. My rent is late because I had the flu and we don’t have paid sick days. Last year they took my car because I couldn’t pay the note and my rent. I take the bus now. After bills, there’s nothing left to save. I just pray on it and keep going.

I’m 68 now. I wish I could enjoy retirement and spend more time with my grandkids. I’m fighting for the younger generation, so they don’t struggle like this. My father was a union man who fought so people could have a better life. I didn’t understand it then, but I do now. Black people have always fought for our rights. Now, we’re still fighting for respect and the right to make a decent living.

But it’s not just workers who are being exploited. American Airlines’ near-monopoly means less competition and fewer choices for passengers. In fact, Charlotte passengers pay the highest non-stop domestic fares in the country–paying on average $119 more per flight than at other major U.S. airports.

Meanwhile, American Airlines CEO Robert Isom made $15.6 million in 2024. 

This isn’t just about me. This is about the Charlotteans who can’t afford to travel. This is about the younger workers that dream of getting ahead in life, buying a home, and raising a family. They want careers, not dead-end poverty jobs. This is about ensuring our elected officials support policies that build Black wealth in Charlotte, rather than letting those profits go directly to corporations like American Airlines. 

Right now, Charlotte is negotiating its lease with American Airlines. City officials can and should include standards that protect workers and the public by ensuring fair wages and benefits. No one should go without healthcare, skip meals, or work in sweatshop-like conditions — and passengers deserve a stable, experienced workforce, not constant turnover caused by low pay and poor benefits.  

As the city of Charlotte celebrates Black History Month, I hope officials realize today's Black labor is just as important. The Black residents that elected them are looking for more than empty words. We want a commitment that shows that Black history is not just something to celebrate once a year, but something that is honored through policy that protects us workers and the community year-round. 

Dorothy Griffin is a Charlotte Douglas International Airport worker who services American Airlines.

Comments