Southwest Airlines Pilots Set Strike Authorization Vote to ‘Wake Up’ Company Officials

Members of Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA) protest company prioritizing stock buybacks over labor contracts outside the New York Stock Exchange on Dec. 7, 2022. (SWAPA)

Southwest Airlines pilots have set a “historic” strike-authorization vote following a lack of progress in contract negotiations and a massive operational meltdown.

In a Jan. 18 announcement, the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA) stated that a vote has been scheduled to begin on May 1 and that it “will ultimately give pilots the ability to strike.” The union, which represents about 10,000 pilots, stated that this will be the first time in the airline’s 51-year history that such a vote will be held.

SWAPA Vice President Capt. Michael Santoro said in a Facebook post that the union is exasperated. He called the vote “a tool we must employ to wake up management.”

“We’ve tried everything to get the attention of [CEO] Bob Jordan and [Chief Operating Officer] Andrew Watterson,” Santoro said. “We’ve had leadership meetings, data exchanges, negotiations, informational pickets, and extensive media coverage. Nothing has moved the needle.”

Capt. Michael Santoro, first vice president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association. (SWAPA.org)

Earlier this week, as SWAPA was discussing the potential for such a vote, Southwest Airlines said in an email to The Epoch Times that the union’s mention of a strike-authorization vote “does not affect Southwest’s operation” or its ability to take care of its customers.

In a statement posted to the airline’s website, Adam Carlisle, vice president of Southwest’s labor relations, reacted to the union’s decision.

“We will continue to follow the process outlined in the Railway Labor Act and work, under the assistance of the National Mediation Board, toward reaching an agreement that rewards our pilots and places them competitively in the industry,” he wrote.

“The union’s potential vote does not hinder our ongoing efforts at the negotiating table.”

The next negotiations session is set for Jan. 24. Since October 2022, the National Mediation Board has been assisting.

Southwest stated that mediators set the dates, location, and agenda for negotiating sessions “and have continued to drive the parties toward closing out certain sections before addressing the more complex items in the contract.”

The airline emphasized that the proposed vote “is not an indication of an impending work stoppage” and that the company remains “focused on delivering a safe and reliable operation” along with its “legendary Southwest hospitality.”

The union said it chose May 1 as the vote date because it will give the union time to prepare and customers time to book elsewhere, “so that they can have confidence that their summer vacations, honeymoons, and family outings are assured.”

The votes will be counted at the end of May, according to SWAPA.

During negotiations, the union has been pushing the airline for contract language to address “scheduling work rules and information technology,” SWAPA stated, which are two of the major factors the union blames for the problems that arose in the airline’s operations after a severe winter storm that led to 16,700 canceled flights during the holiday rush of the last 10 days of 2022.

In an analysis that included exclusive employee interviews, The Epoch Times detailed events that culminated in the meltdown and described employees’ concerns for the company’s future.

Airline Working on Improvements

An email from the Texas-based airline states that the company is “committed to having the right people and processes in place as we upgrade our existing technology, tools, and automation.” The email also notes that two outside firms have been helping the company with those efforts, General Electric Co. and Oliver Wyman. Watterson formerly worked at Oliver Wyman.

But SWAPA accused management of allowing a technology deficit to fester. Management’s failure to address known issues forced SWAPA along the path afforded to it by the Railway Labor Act, according to the union. The act governs the labor-management relations of airlines. It also spells out a process that’s designed to head off a strike.

“It is not a decision we have taken lightly, but given the trajectory of our current leadership group, we have little faith in the stability and future of our airline,” SWAPA President Capt. Casey Murray said.

In a Facebook video, Murray told union members: “This is not a decision that we take lightly. But the time is now. It is time to let your voice be heard. And it’s time for you to speak for your career, for your families, and for all pilots. Remember, at the end of the day, Southwest provides you a paycheck, but SWAPA fills in the amount.”

Capt. Tom Nekouei, SWAPA’s second vice president, told members, “We are prepared.”

Several events to engage members are upcoming, including a Feb. 4 picket planned in Baltimore, according to SWAPA’s Twitter account.

In the coming weeks, SWAPA intends to contact all its members “to explain what this means” to them, their families, and their careers, Nekouei said.

An information booklet is now being produced and will arrive at pilots’ homes next month, he said.