Airport workers and supporters press council for wage protections in airline leases; union members describe low pay and turnover

Several airport employees and union representatives used the public‑comment period to press the City Council to adopt labor protections in leases at Charlotte Douglas International Airport and to consider worker retention measures when concession contracts are rebid.

Diane Kaiser, who works at Charlotte Douglas Airport assisting unaccompanied minors and wheelchair customers, said turnover and low pay (some co‑workers earning as little as $12.50 an hour) are straining workers and jeopardizing passenger safety. “Wheelchair attendants are feeling the pressure to double‑push passengers and rush from one assignment to the next,” she said.

Ben Andress, a crew member at HMSHost and a member of Unite Here Local 23, described the airport as the first face many visitors see and urged council to protect jobs when leases change hands so workers can retain employment. “Whenever there's a change in contractor, we need worker retention,” Andress said.

An academic and a labor‑law commentator offered legal context. Eric Fink, a law professor, said municipal leases are legally different from broad mandates regulated under state wage law and argued that negotiated lease terms can include wage provisions because a municipality acts as a proprietary landlord when it leases property.

City staff and council did not take an immediate policy vote; speakers said they had submitted written materials to the city attorney’s office and urged council to explore what can be done within state law and procurement rules.