As if record crowds and anticipated storms aren’t enough trouble for the Thanksgiving rush, airport workers at Los Angeles and Charlotte are threatening labor actions that will add to the turmoil.
At LAX, 100 members of members of the SEIU United Service Workers West—ground workers who clean planes, handle baggage, maintain airport safety, and assist wheelchair passengers—are scheduled to rally and march today. They are demanding an increase in the minimum wage to $25 an hour, and $30 an hour by 2028, and access to affordable health care.
The rally is the result of the LA City Council’s postponing a vote on a proposal to raise the minimum wage for tourism workers until December 11.
SEIU says LAX generates $126 billion for Southern California—a number sure to grow when Los Angeles hosts the World Cup in 2026 and the Summer Olympics in 2028.
In Charlotte, meanwhile, ground workers of the Service Employees International Union and Prospect Airport Services held a 24-hour strike today at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, an American Airlines (AA) hub. The two companies provide services such as cleaning airplane interiors, removing trash and escorting passengers in wheelchairs for AA. They, too, are demanding higher wages; most workers earn $12.50 to $19 an hour, the union said.
American said in a statement that it doesn’t expect “any significant disruption” this week from the strike, and only about 30 American flights—about 4%—were delayed on Monday afternoon, according to FlightAware.