Airport Contract Workers Strike Over Safety After Colleague’s Death on the Job
- Contract workers at Charlotte Douglas International Airport went on a 24-hour strike Oct. 14 over workplace safety and conditions. The workers are employed through facility management company ABM, which provides services such as wheelchair assistance and cabin cleaning. The union did not have a head count of participants.
- The strike follows the death of ABM employee Colleen Coates, 55, on Sept. 17. The union says she told colleagues she wasn’t feeling well in the days before but came to work because she needed the paycheck. She collapsed while waiting to clean an American Airlines aircraft and could not be resuscitated.
- Workers cite concerns about workplace safety, harassment, verbal abuse and intimidation, and want clear information about their paid leave. The union said workers tried to deliver a petition of demands to management at two office locations Tuesday, but one was locked with the lights off and management at the other did not open the door.
- ABM said in a statement that it maintains an “open-door policy” and takes all concerns seriously.
Small Firms Can Apply for Up to $5,000 in Grants for Worker Safety Gear
- Michigan small businesses with 250 or fewer employees can apply for a dollar-for-dollar matching grant of up to $5,000 from the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration to buy safety and health equipment and training. The new cycle began Oct. 1, and grants will be awarded until funds run out.
- MIOSHA awarded $500,000 to more than 100 employers through its Workplace Improvement to Safety and Health program in the 2025-26 fiscal year, most of it going to construction companies. Many grants paid for personal protective equipment such as safety helmets, high-visibility apparel, gloves, safety glasses and fall protection harnesses.
- To qualify, employers must have 250 or fewer employees companywide, fall under MIOSHA jurisdiction and conduct a site-specific evaluation justifying the purchase. The project must directly reduce the risk of injury or disease, and the employer must have the knowledge and experience to complete it.