Charlotte airport workers report low pay, staff shortages

SERVICE EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONAL UNION

Charles McDowell-Medina, a wheelchair attendant at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, speaks at the release of a survey of contract workers on April 24.

Contract workers at Charlotte’s airport face adversity that has the potential to jeopardize passengers, according to a report.

A survey conducted by Service Employees International Union of subcontractors at Charlotte Douglas International Airport deal with chronic understaffing, high turnover rates and unsafe equipment – long-standing complaints among workers. The report, released on April 24, is based on responses of cabin cleaners and wheelchair assistance workers at American Airlines contractors ABM and Prospect Airport Services. 

“We are understaffed because the pay is so low,” said Charles McDowell-Medina, a wheelchair attendant who services American Airlines passengers. “Management asks us to push two passengers at the same time just to keep up. “I do my best because I don’t want people to get left behind and miss their flights, but that’s not safe for us or the people we’re helping. Passengers deserve better.”

American Airlines didn’t respond to The Post’s request for a response to the survey. 

The report found substandard wages, unsafe work conditions, and high turnover contract workers at Charlotte Douglas, the sixth-busiest airport in the world. Among the results:
• 53% have worked at the airport for less than a year 

• 67% say they are pressured to work too quickly due to staffing gaps

• 71% of respondents report coming to work sick due to lack of paid time off

• 74% struggle to afford necessities

• 80% of cabin cleaners say there isn’t enough staff to clean planes as trained

• 88% of wheelchair agents report faulty or unsafe equipment

• 19% sleep in temporary situations including cars or hotels

Cabin cleaners reported being rushed to service multiple planes in short periods of time, while wheelchair attendants describe unsafe practices like pushing multiple passengers at a time to keep up with demand.

“I can’t afford to get an apartment right now, so I sometimes stay in hotels,” said Dajhaun Perry, a cabin cleaner who services American Airlines planes. “That costs $400 to $500 a week. When I can’t afford that, I have no choice but to sleep in my car. I struggle to pay my phone bill, car note, and have to cut back on groceries sometimes.” 

The average wage of Charlotte Douglas’ contract workers is $14.71 an hour — far short of the $24.19 needed to meet basic living expenses in Charlotte, according to Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Contract workers handle essential airport functions like clean aircraft, help passengers with disabilities and children get to and off planes, handle baggage, and make safety checks. Labor advocates say low wages and poor working conditions lead to turnover that makes retention difficult and threatens airport operations.

Charlotte Douglas is a major economic engine, yet workers say the American isn’t providing benefits. The Dallas, Texas-based airline controls nearly 90% of all Charlotte air travel at CLT and reported $54.2 billion in revenue in 2024.

Contract workers are lobbying city leaders to incorporate improved wages and benefits in negotiations with American on a lease extension at Charlotte Douglas, which expires on June 30. City Council members Dimple Ajmera and J.D. Mazuera Arias joined airport workers for the report’s release.

“The time is now for the city to negotiate a lease that raises standards for workers, protects passengers, and keeps the airport’s economic benefits in Charlotte,” said Niecy Brown, district director of SEIU Workers United North Carolina. “We cannot let American Airlines continue to profit while workers and the community fall behind.”

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