On Dec. 8, thousands of airport workers across the country walked off the job, affecting 15 major airports, including Miami International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport and LaGuardia Airport. Citing low wages, few paid sick days and overall unfair labor practices, many airport workers rallied to send a message. The nationwide protests occurred at airports controlling 45 percent of all U.S. domestic air travel and 65 percent of all U.S. travel through major hubs.

At Miami International Airport, workers protested in Terminal D, calling for the passage of the Good Jobs for Good Airports Act, which would ensure airport service workers receive livable wages and life-saving benefits like healthcare and paid time off.

The planned protest last week leaves many wondering whether more are to come and whether this will affect air travel down the road. In addition to air travel, many protesters include cargo service workers, whose strikes would also impact mail and shipping packages across the country and world.

At Newark Liberty International Airport, 55 Swissport Cargo service workers who sort and ship USPS mail and packages rallied outside the airport to protest the company’s wage theft and failure to pay the $4.60 per hour health and welfare supplemental benefit defined in the New Jersey Healthy Terminals Act. This act, which went into effect September 2021, requires employers at the airport to provide this amount per hour toward the cost of health insurance for workers or else pay workers this amount as part of their wages. Currently, the Department of Labor is investigating this complaint.

Many airport workers face continual blame for delays, even though they often only have little time to get everything ready for flights. For instance, those who clean cabins often only have just a few minutes to do so before takeoff. To make matters worse, some workers in charge of unloading bags have been ordered to also work cleaning cabins, as is the case at LaGuardia Airport.

Airport strikes are not just happening in the United States. In the United Kingdom, the government issued a notice to travelers to expect travel delays due to airport strikes. The Public and Commercial Service Union announced major airports like London Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport, Glasgow Airport and Manchester Airport will face delays and should expect to face longer wait times at U.K. border control.

Workers at Spanish airport operator Aena plan to walk out on Christmas Day and around New Year’s Eve to protest a suspended bonus halted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over in Australia, airport workers plan to strike at Canberra Airport this Friday and then at Brisbane and the Gold Coast next Monday as part of an ongoing pay dispute in which workers call for a 10–15 percent pay raise.

The recent airport strikes across the country and world, while not new in terms of news, is something to pay attention to, as the frequency of such strikes increase. The COVID-19 pandemic had great effects on air travel globally that persist into late 2022. As the world continues to push for social and civil rights, the demand for fair labor practices and livable wages by airport workers will only increase unless companies and airports respond in a timely and appropriate manner.

Have any airport strikes affected your own travels in the past? What are your thoughts on the recent planned walkout of airport workers across the country? Do you support these strikes? Tell us your thoughts. Email us at [email protected]. Please include your full name and location.