Charlotte airport service workers go on strike after death – Spectrum News

Charlotte airport service workers go on strike after death  Spectrum News

Workers said they want clear and accurate information about their paid leave. Service workers at Charlotte Douglas International Airport have decided to strike following new revelations surrounding the death of a worker. Colleen Coates collapsed on a jet bridge in the heat while waiting to clean a plane and was unable to be resuscitated. The 55-year-old worked as a cabin cleaner for American Airlines and was a member of Service Employees International Union (SEIU), according to the Charlotte-Metrolina Labor Council. Though Coates had serious health conditions and was recently hospitalized, she continued to work to pay for her medications and doctor visits, organizers said.

Now ABM workers are asking for better working conditions following her death. “ABM workers are outraged and are demanding that management start taking their concerns about safety, harassment, verbal abuse and intimidation seriously,“ they said in a statement. Earlier this week, they tried giving management a petition outlining demands at two separate office locations, but management didn’t open the door. The last time ABM went on strike was during the Thanksgiving holidays in 2024. American Airlines has yet to comment on the current strike by contracted employees. Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.