Southwest Pilots Ramp Up Strike-Vote Talk, Push for Contract ‘Guardrails’ Against Future Meltdowns

A Southwest Airlines plane comes in for a landing at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, on May 12, 2020. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

In the wake of the embarrassing, costly Southwest Airlines operational meltdown, its pilots are moving closer to a strike-authorization vote.

Union president Casey Murray said the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA) has been fighting for three years to get a contract that would lock in safeguards to keep the airline’s operations on an even keel and prevent pilot fatigue.