Could East Coast airport strike impact Thanksgiving travel at Phoenix Sky Harbor?
Nov 25, 2024, 8:25 AM | Updated: 8:43 am
Passengers walk past a union ballot drop box at Charlotte Douglas International Airport on Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Erik Verduzco)
(AP Photo/Erik Verduzco)
PHOENIX — A worker strike at an East Coast airport could potentially impact Thanksgiving week travel at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
If the dispute over low wages at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, the major hub for American Airlines connections, leads to flight delays, it could have a ripple effect across the nation.
So far, it was business as usual at Sky Harbor as Thanksgiving travel was ramping up.
“We’re not seeing any impacts yet, but it’s always a good idea for travelers to check their flight status with their airline before they come to the airport,” Heather Shelbrack, a Sky Harbor spokeswoman, told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning on Monday.
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Shelbrack said she expects the Phoenix airport to be congested all week, with Wednesday and Saturday the heaviest days.
“We’re expecting this Thanksgiving holiday to be very busy,” she said.
What led to worker strike at Charlotte airport?
Employees of ABM and Prospect Airport Services cast ballots Friday to authorize the worker strike in North Carolina.
The Service Employees International Union announced the strike in a statement early Monday, saying the workers would demand “an end to poverty wages and respect on the job during the holiday travel season.” The strike was expected to last 24 hours, said union spokesperson Sean Keady.
The companies contract with American Airlines to provide services such as cleaning airplane interiors, removing trash and escorting passengers in wheelchairs.
Charlotte Douglas officials said in a statement Monday morning that they were “monitoring and actively engaged with all partners to ensure terminal operations are not impacted.”
ABM said it would take steps to minimize disruptions. Prospect Airport Services said last week that the company recognizes the seriousness of the potential for a strike during the busy holiday travel season.
Airport officials have said this holiday travel season is expected to be the busiest on record, with an estimated 1.02 million passengers departing the airport between last Thursday and the Monday after Thanksgiving.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
