Just in time for one of the most traveled weeks of the year, Charlotte Douglas International Airport workers are going on strike to protest their “poverty wages.”
These service workers include those who clean the airplanes, remove trash, and assist with wheelchairs throughout the airport, per AP News. According to the Service Employees International Union officials, the strike is part of a demand for “an end to poverty wages and respect on the job during the holiday travel season.”
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“We’re on strike today because this is our last resort. We can’t keep living like this,” said ABM cabin cleaner Priscilla Hoyle. “We’re taking action because our families can’t survive.”
The strike began Monday morning and is said to include a “Strikesgiving” lunch “in place of the Thanksgiving meal that many of the workers won’t be able to afford later this week,” according to union officials.
This morning, strikers were seen holding signs with phrases like “protect us, respect us, pay us” and “more $$$ now.”
“Airport service workers make holiday travel possible by keeping airports safe, clean, and running,” the union stated. “Despite their critical role in the profits that major corporations enjoy, many airport service workers must work two to three jobs to make ends meet.”
While its employees are actively striking during this busy holiday week, ABM ensures that it will address any disruptions it might cause.
“At ABM, we appreciate the hard work our team members put in every day to support our clients and help keep spaces clean and people healthy,” the company said in a statement.
