Southwest, Flight Attendants Reach Deal in Principle on New Contract
September 09 2016 - 6:30PM
Dow Jones News
Southwest Airlines Co. and the union that represents its 12,000
flight attendants said Friday they have reached tentative agreement
on a new labor contract, more than a year after 87% of the workers
rejected an earlier pact.
Southwest and its pilots union last month also reached agreement
in principle on a new four-year labor agreement, following four
years of talks and an earlier failed proposal. The company has
8,400 pilots
Dallas-based Southwest, the nation's No. 4 carrier by traffic,
has been buffeted by sharp and unusual labor dissent recently as
its mostly unionized workers became impatient with lengthy
negotiations as the airline is producing record profits. Southwest,
which already pays its workers well, is trying to hold the line on
labor expenses and win new productivity.
But the logjam appears to be broken, with back-to-back
agreements with two big unions.
The Transport Workers Union local that represents the cabin-crew
employees, said Friday that its board will review the language in
the new pact. Two-thirds of the board need to agree to put the
accord out for a ratification vote, which could take a month or
more to conclude.
Southwest said it is pleased to have reached a tentative
agreement with the flight attendants. Terms weren't disclosed.
The pilots union directors also are studying the language in
their new proposed accord reached in August. They must decide
whether to put it out for a vote, a process that could take until
November.
In February 2016, a different TWU local that represents 12,000
Southwest ground workers approved a new five-year labor contract by
a mere 75 votes.
Write to Susan Carey at susan.carey@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
September 09, 2016 18:15 ET (22:15 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2016 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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