Home » Business News • US Employment News » Southwest Airlines flight attendants ready for a potential strike

Southwest Airlines flight attendants ready for a potential strike

By Nithya Bose in Business News, posted January 25, 2024

Southwest Airlines flight attendants have voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike against the carrier.

TWU Local 556, representing over 21,000 Southwest flight attendants, said over 98 percent of the voting union members backed the strike.

It’s the first vote of its kind in the union’s history.

The move comes after rejecting a tentative five-year contract agreement last month.

The need for renewed negotiations was sparked when approximately 64 percent of the union members turned down a proposed contract in December.

The union has been seeking revisions to the collective bargaining agreement that became amendable in November 2018.

They demand better scheduling for on-call shifts, fair compensation for ground time, and improved policies for commuting staff.

This strike authorization, while significant, does not immediately impact Southwest's operations or customer service.

It only enables the union to strike if ongoing federal mediation with the airline fails to yield a satisfactory agreement following certain regulatory approvals.

Looking to boost your online brand? Create your FREE business profile at WhatBiz? Here

Southwest said: “TWU 556’s authorization vote does not affect Southwest’s operation or our ability to take care of our customers.

“We reached an industry-leading tentative agreement with TWU 556 in October, and we will work on next steps to continue mediation and reach another agreement.”

This development follows closely with Southwest Airlines pilots ratifying a new contract on Monday, January 22.

The airline also negotiates with two other union-represented workgroups concerning their collective bargaining agreements.

Follow us on X, LinkedIn, and Facebook