Southwest Airlines pilots vote to authorize strike as they push for pay raises in new contract [View all]

Source: Associated Press

Southwest Airlines pilots vote to authorize strike as they push for pay raises in new contract

May 11, 2023

DALLAS (AP) — Pilots at Southwest Airlines voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike, their union said Thursday, a move that is unlikely to lead to a walkout in the near future but is designed to put more pressure on the airline during contract negotiations.

The union said 99% of members who took part voted to authorize a strike, and turnout was 98%.

Southwest said the vote has no effect on its operations.

“We are staffed and prepared to welcome travelers for their summer travel plans,” the airline said in a statement.

The outcome of the vote was widely expected after a similar result at American Airlines, but it doesn’t mean that a strike is imminent. Under U.S. law, airline workers can’t legally strike unless federal mediators decide that further negotiations are pointless. Even then, the president and Congress can block a strike.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/southwest-airlines-pilots-strike-vote-129275b94a6882a9a350d924be01adcd