‘Fed up and fired up’: Flight attendants to protest outside Charlotte Douglas

CHARLOTTE — With Thanksgiving just around the corner, a travel surge is expected. Thousands of passengers are expected to fly in and out of Charlotte Douglas International Airport during the holiday, but some local flight attendants say they want more pay.

Piedmont Airlines flight attendants have announced their plans to picket outside of the airport on Thursday morning. The demonstration comes one month after flight attendants unanimously voted to authorize a future strike.

The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, a union that represents nearly 50,000 flight attendants at 17 airlines, said that, legally, they can not hold a strike just yet. They must go through a 30-day “cooling off” period, which would start in the middle of December.

Flight attendants said they are planning Thursday’s demonstration to fight for higher wages. The union said regional flight attendants for Piedmont, which is an American Eagle carrier, are paid 45% less than flight attendants on mainline carriers like American Airlines, and the average base pay for new hires is $16,500.

Organizers said Piedmont Airlines management has proposed a minimal pay increase that would not provide a living wage for the average flight attendant.

[PAST COVERAGE: Flight attendants at one of AA’s regional carriers vote to strike, asking for better pay, benefits]

The union said it wants to start applying pressure as the airport becomes busier.

“Bringing the heat, stepping up the heat. We’re frustrated, we’re fed up and fired up. We will continue to hold the company accountable and we’re not going away,” Keturah Johnson, the AFA Piedmont president, said.

The airport is expecting to see anywhere from 30,000 to 35,000 passengers a day for the next two weeks.

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Piedmont is owned by American Airlines and operates regional service under the American Eagle brand at Charlotte Douglas. The airline sent Channel 9 the following statement:

“We are dedicated to getting a competitive contract negotiated for our more than 350 Piedmont Flight Attendants. We have the most professional Flight Service professionals in the industry, and Piedmont is a leader in safety and performance because of their efforts. We are in agreement our team members deserve the best contract and we are committed to delivering that to them. We look forward to getting back to negotiations in December.”

(WATCH BELOW: Flight attendants at one of AA’s regional carriers vote to strike, asking for better pay, benefits)