Many workers at Charlotte Douglas International Airport went on strike Monday to demand better wages and benefits as Thanksgiving travel begins.
Cabin cleaners, wheelchair attendants and ramp workers were among those who walked off the job. They work for ABM and Prospect, companies that contract with American Airlines.
The Service Employees International Union says most employees earn between $12.50 and $19 an hour.
“We work but we live below the poverty level and that shouldn’t be, working out at the airport that’s making all this money. We should have livable wages," said Dorothy Griffin, who cleans airplane cabins.
Griffin was among over 100 workers rallying outside the airport Monday morning.
The union says about 40% of airport workers it represents in Charlotte don’t have stable housing, and 55% have struggled to pay utility bills.
Workers authorized the strike on Friday and walked off their jobs Monday morning. The union says the strike will last through the day.
A spokesperson for Charlotte Douglas International Airport says there are no impacts due to the strike as of Monday afternoon, and that the airport is prepared to welcome over one million passengers this week.
ABM and Prospect did not return WFAE's request for comment.
