Pilots at other airlines, notably at Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines, which are all represented by much larger union Air Line Pilots, International (ALPA), have in recent months won lucrative new contracts.Īir Canada’s pilots – previously represented by the Air Canada Pilots Association (ACPA) – recently voted to merge with ALPA.
“This anticipated authorisation vote result does not change our commitment to the negotiation process, and we look forward to continuing discussions with SWAPA at the negotiating table.” “Our negotiating team continues to bargain in good faith and work toward reaching a new agreement to reward our pilots,” says Adam Carlisle, vice-president of labour relations at Southwest Airlines. The airline says it still expects mediation to end in a new contract for its flight deck crews, and for its summer schedule to be unimpeded by the negotiations. Southwest responded to the strike authorisation vote by noting that its pilots are “not on strike” and ”the vote result has no impact on our scheduled operations”. ”We want our passengers to understand that we do not take this path lightly.” ”We will follow the process set forth by the Railway Labor Act and continue toward a strike,” SWAPA says.
SWAPA negotiating committee chair Jody Reven will now petition the National Mediation Board to release the union to self-help “imminently”, the union says. Airline Business special: CEOs to watch in 2021.FlightGlobal Guide to Business Aviation Training and Safety 2021.EDGE: A new global force in aerospace and defence.Shell Aviation: What will it take to Decarbonise Aviation?.What does the future of aviation look like in 2022?.Guide to Business Aviation Training and Safety 2022.What will it take to Decarbonise Aviation?.Guide to Business Aviation Training and Safety 2023.Airline Business Covid-19 recovery tracker.Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. "This anticipated authorization vote result does not change our commitment to the negotiation process, and we look forward to continuing discussions with SWAPA at the negotiating table." "Our negotiating team continues to bargain in good faith and work toward reaching a new agreement to reward our pilots," Adam Carlisle, Southwest’s vice president of labor relations, said in the release. More than 98% of Southwest’s pilots participated in the vote before results were announced, and 99% of them voted in favor.įor its part, Southwest’s management released a statement saying it would continue negotiating with the pilots to avoid a strike. The vote was originally scheduled to remain open through the end of the month, but the union’s statement said that its members had already overwhelmingly shown support of a possible strike. Our pilots are tired of apologizing to our passengers on behalf of a company that refuses to place its priorities on its internal and external customers.” “The lack of leadership and the unwillingness to address the failures of our organization have led us to this point. “This is a historic day, not only for our pilots, but for Southwest Airlines,” Southwest Airlines Pilots Association president Casey Murray said in a statement. They’re meant to signal to management that pilots are willing to take drastic measures to secure favorable terms in a new contract. Tell us your story: Mobility device lost or damaged by an airline? USA TODAY wants to hear about it.Įven so, these strike authorization votes are often an important part of contract negotiations at airlines. If all of that and some other steps fail, only then would the pilots actually be legally allowed to walk off the job.įan favorites: Southwest, Delta and JetBlue win top marks for customer satisfaction in J.D. In order for a strike to occur, negotiations need to break down between the pilots and airline management, the National Mediation Board needs to get involved, a mandatory 30-day cooling off period must be observed, during which President Joe Biden could appoint a board to oversee further negotiations. In both cases, the vote is just the first step on a path that rarely if ever ends in an actual work stoppage. Just a few weeks ago, American Airlines pilots announced they had also authorized a strike in a similar vote. Southwest Airlines pilots voted to authorize a strike, but it’s highly unlikely it will happen.
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