Latest news with #Charlottean
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Charlotte airport employees decry working conditions at city council meeting
Dominique Chambers, left, sorts through post cards outlining labor concerns with other members of the SEIU. (Photo courtesy of 32BJ SEIU.) Charlotte Douglas International Airport employees took to the floor of the Charlotte City Council on Tuesday to allege unsafe working conditions, high turnover, and inadequate wages at the state's largest airport. The employees delivered hundreds of postcards from members of the 32BJ Service Employees International Union outlining labor concerns at the airport before addressing the council during its public comment session at 5 p.m. Speakers from the union urged city lawmakers to raise wages and pass stricter safety standards for the airport at the local level. Dominique Chambers, a wheelchair agent at the airport, said working conditions directly interfere with his ability to assist elderly and disabled passengers. 'Every day, we are met with low wages, minimum benefits, and poor working conditions,' Chambers said. 'The turnover rate is so high and we are so understaffed that many passengers are left waiting. Sometimes, we're even pressured to push two passengers at the same time.' Chambers said the cost of living in Charlotte has outpaced their wages to the point that colleagues of his are forced to stay with their families, live in their cars, or even remain unhoused altogether. Because he makes $12.50 an hour, Chambers said he has no choice but to live with his grandmother. Donielle Prophete, the president of Communications Workers of America Local 3645, said that if councilors do not act on their concerns, then 'now is the time for us to act and vote you off of this dais.' She asked the council to open a committee meeting to allow the union members to propose a new ordinance on workplace safety and higher wages. 'Charlotte Douglas is one of the largest economic engines in the city. If the workers who power it can't count on their elected officials to protect them, then who can they count on?' Prophete said. 'No Charlottean should be working full-time and still unable to afford rent, food, or health care.' Later in the meeting, City Attorney Anthony Fox said the changes requested by the union are preempted by the state's Wage and Hour Act, which largely reserves the right to set labor laws to the state legislature. He added that nothing the union has communicated to him about its proposal has changed that analysis. 'I understand the merits of what they're asking for and it's altruistic, it's noble, but we are restricted by law on what we can do and how far we can go,' Fox said. Councilor Victoria Watlington said it was her understanding that the union's current proposal is not a direct modification to wage and labor standards, but rather, a change to the criteria the city uses to award contracts at the airport that would take into consideration those concerns — something she said is in the council's purview. Though three members of the council — Tiawana Brown, Reneé Johnson, and Watlington — requested a committee hearing on the issue, Mayor Vi Lyles declined to refer the issue, citing a need for further consultation with the city attorney. Brown also requested that Lyles authorize the city council's Budget, Government, and Intergovernment Relations Committee to investigate safety and efficiency at the airport. Lyles said she would discuss the matter with Fox's office and make a determination based on his legal advice. 'These are things that I think about in a way that, how do we create jobs for people that pay better?' Lyles said. 'How do we do that? That's by getting behind people in a way that we can provide these opportunities for them.' Charlotte Douglas International Airport and Lyles's office did not respond to requests for comment. In a press release, the union said the council has the power to pass their proposal, and that arguing preemption by state law is a 'well-known tactic used by corporations and politicians to shut down common-sense measures that benefit workers and the public.' 'Dozens of cities across the country have passed similar legislation to raise airport standards — despite claims by some states that such local laws are preempted by state law,' said SEIU Southern Regional Director Chris Baumann. 'It is disappointing that Mayor Lyles lacks the political will to do the same. Thousands of airport workers and their families won't forget this failure come election time.'
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Ready to fight like hell.' Anti-Trump Charlotte protesters march for immigrant rights
Protesters marched through the heart of Charlotte's immigrant community on Saturday to denounce what they called the Trump administration's illegal and unwarranted deportations and anti-union, anti-worker policies and actions. Police estimated the crowd of marchers on Central Avenue in east Charlotte at 1,500. The Charlotte-Metrolina Labor Council, Action NC, Carolina Migrant Network and other community groups held the event to celebrate International Workers' Day. 'I'm out here because I'm disgusted with what's happening in our country, what Trump is doing, and this is only the second protest I've been to in my life,' Susan Ward of Charlotte said as she and other early arriving protesters received occasional honks of support from drivers. 'The last one was a few weeks ago.' Ward, 75, displayed a handmade sign that read 'Dump Trump' on one side and 'Justice for All' on the other. 'All the lies,' she said. 'They're taking all our rights from us,' mentioning people being 'taken away who are citizens, or anybody, without due process. I hope we can dump him.' The event followed other protests in the region, including a rally and march by Lake Norman Indivisible in Davidson on Thursday. 'I'm here to be with all the workers internationally,' Angel Orellana, a 20-year-old Charlottean of Mexican and Salvadoran descent said. 'This is what the movement's for. The struggle is always going to be the same, no matter where we are, whether it's Mexico, El Salvador, here in the U.S. or in Palestine.' Ryan Christiano held a poster that read, 'We are the 99 Percent.' She is in her early 20s and from the Lake Norman area, she said. Lower- and middle-class workers hold the majority of political power, she said. 'Elected officials are supposed to work for us, and the 1% shouldn't be hoarding all the wealth at the top of the pyramid and refusing to redistribute it down so everybody else doesn't have to suffer,' Christiano said 'It's we the people,' her uncle Paul Nowosielski of Wingate said. 'It's as simple as that.' U.S. Rep. Alma Adams, D-Charlotte, drew repeated applause as she addressed the crowd outside La Coalición (Latin American Coalition) on Central Avenue before the march. 'I support you, because immigrants' rights are workers' rights,' Adams said. 'Our immigrant communities are a bedrock of the city of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina and the country.' Immigrants are 'job creators and business owners,' she said, including at least 16% of business owners in Mecklenburg County. She said they've delivered thousands of new jobs to the region and more than a billion dollars a year in tax revenue. 'Without immigrants there would be no United Sates of America,' Adams said . She cited pro-immigrant, pro-worker legislation she's sponsored and criticized Trump for his actions against both groups. 'The power of our government does not come from one man's ego,' Adams said. 'It comes from the people, and the people are ready to fight like hell. So listen, as you march today, march with your heads high, march with your signs raised and march with your voices loud.' 'This is a movement to be proud of, and you will always have an ally in me,' Adams said before the crowd marched peacefully and chanted loudly, as an overhead police drone and scores of officers on bicycles monitored the two-hour event.
Axios
11-02-2025
- Health
- Axios
See inside: The Health Club brings Equinox vibes to east Charlotte
The Health Club, a new locally owned luxury fitness and recovery center, recently opened on Monroe Road in east Charlotte. Why it matters: Memberships for the high-end wellness space, designed for both fitness and recovery, sold out before it opened. What to expect: The massive 18,000-square-foot, two-story facility offers a fully equipped gym, group fitness classes and a dedicated recovery section for members. Between the lines: The Health Club has a 600+ person waitlist. When they reopen, memberships will be $249 a month for individuals or $409 for couples. The vibe: With a clean and modern aesthetic, The Health Club draws heavy inspiration from luxury fitness brands like Equinox and Anatomy Fitness in Miami, says founder and owner, 29-year-old Addy Collett Hakim. What they're saying: The Health Club was created for 'The Healthy Hustler,'" Collett Hakim tells Axios, describing those early risers and high achievers who prioritize fitness but also appreciate a well-designed space. Yes, and: She also saw a gap in Charlotte's fitness scene—there wasn't a single place where people could work out, take group classes, train with a coach, and recover under one membership. So, she built it. Zoom in: The ground floor is where you'll find the open gym, which is full of strength training equipment, a cardio section, free weights and turf. The locker rooms on the first floor are connected through a co-ed cold plunge and hot tub area. Both the men's and women's locker rooms have their own sauna and eucalyptus steam room. Upstairs, all group fitness classes take place across three studios: one for circuit training, one for yoga (heated and unheated), and one for reformer pilates. Unlimited reformer pilates classes are an additional $100 per month for members. Flashback: The buildout of The Health Club took roughly a year and a half, but the concept has been on Collett Hakim's mind for years. A former Barry's trainer and native Charlottean — she's no stranger to the area or its fitness scene. The big picture: Fitness is becoming increasingly social — people are turning to gyms and wellness clubs to find community (or even romantic partners). Charlotte is seeing this with the explosion of communal cold plunges, its numerous run clubs, and even the rise of social events centered around wellness — like Y Happy Hour and Chilly Coffee Club. The Health Club is designed partly as a social space, too. A co-working space will soon be added to the mezzanine on the second floor. Zoom out: The Health Club's location, part of Oakhurst Commons along 4000 Monroe Road, feels like a wellness island of its own — it's just steps away from massage and sauna studio Mood House Oakhurst. What's next: The Health Club will hold its grand opening on Saturday, Feb. 15. The cold plunge and hot tub are in the final stages of construction and are expected to be complete by the grand opening. There will also be a grab-and-go fridge with wellness drinks and snacks from local vendors, like Raw Bites By Risa. Drop-in passes will be available eventually, but pricing hasn't yet been finalized. Stop by: Find The Health Club at 4000 Monroe Road, Building 5. Following the grand opening on the 15th, hours will be Monday-Thursday 5am-9pm, Friday 5am-8pm, Saturday 7am-7pm and Sunday 8am-5pm. My thought bubble: The Health Club feels like a boutique fitness studio — with a luxurious design and price tag to match — but offers significantly more space and workout variety. While we may not yet have an Equinox, The Health Club feels like the closest we've come.
