Workers strike at North Carolina airport before holiday

Workers at Charlotte Douglas International Airport walked off the job Monday to protest what they called unfair labor practices and low wages. Members of service companies ABM and Prospect Airport Services on Friday approved a 24-hour strike at the start of a busy travel week. Prospect and ABM contract with American Airlines to clean plane cabins, remove trash, escort passengers in wheelchairs, and provide other services. Most of the workers in Charlotte receive from $12.50 to $19 per hour and 55% struggle with housing insecurity or difficulties paying for utilities, according to Airport Workers United.

Will the strike affect holiday travel? ABM aimed to minimize disruptions and Prospect said the company recognizes the potential impact of a strike during the holiday season, according to statements provided to The Associated Press. The airport expects to see about 1.02 million passengers depart between last Thursday and next Monday, which is a 7% increase from last year. Airports Council International ranked the airport as the world's fifth-busiest in 2021 as measured by the number of arrivals and departures.

Nationally, AAA projects nearly 80 million people will travel for Thanksgiving this year.

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s report in The Sift about AAA’s holiday travel estimates this week.