Workers Rally at Airport Amidst American Airlines Lease Negotiations
Charlotte City Council member JD Mazuera Arias and NC Rep-elect Rev. Rodney Sadler joined airport workers and union organizers on Thursday to protest work conditions and low wages at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) as the city negotiates a new lease with American Airlines.
SEIU Local 32BJ represents employees of Prospect and ABM, third-party companies that provide workers to serve as wheelchair attendants, cabin cleaners and provide other services for airlines. For years, these workers and members of SEIU 32BJ have campaigned to increase wages, provide benefits and ensure safety for workers at CLT.
Last year, these efforts centered on demands that Charlotte City Council pass a Charlotte Acting for Safety and Efficiency (CASE) ordinance, which sought to address CLT’s high turnover rate and understaffing, which council refused on the advice of the then-city attorney…