Vacationers sporting protecting masks cross a avenue outdoors a Southwest Airways Co. check-in space at Oakland Worldwide Airport in Oakland, Calif
Vacationers sporting protecting masks cross a avenue outdoors a Southwest Airways Co. check-in space at Oakland Worldwide Airport in Oakland, California, U.S., on Monday, Oct. 19, 2020.
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Photographs
Southwest Airways on Thursday mentioned it might furlough greater than 6,800 workers — about 12% of its workers — citing what it referred to as a “lack of significant progress” in cost-cutting negotiations with labor unions.
Southwest like different airways has been struggling due to the coronavirus pandemic’s devastating affect on air journey demand. American Airways and United Airways in October began furloughing greater than 30,000 employees mixed after the phrases of federal payroll help expired.
If Southwest strikes forward with job cuts, they’d be amongst first involuntary furloughs within the service’s practically 50 years of flying. The airline final month warned greater than 400 different employees, together with mechanics, that their jobs may very well be lower.
The Dallas-based airline mentioned it despatched federally mandated notices advising employees their jobs may very well be in danger to six,828 workers, together with greater than 1,200 pilots, 1,500 flight attendants, 1,110 customer support workers, and greater than 2,500 ramp, cargo and different operation workers.
The furloughs would take impact both March 15 or April 1, or inside two weeks of that date, except the service reaches cost-cutting agreements with unions or Congress passes further help for the sector, the airline mentioned.
Such furlough warning letters are typically given to employees 60 days forward of a possible furlough and at the least one union, representing the corporate’s pilots, dismissed the transfer as a negotiating tactic to stress workers.
The notices are “a vindictive act of taking part in with workers feelings proper across the holidays,” mentioned Jon Weaks, president of the Southwest Airways Pilots Affiliation.
The notices went out so early as a result of some states require a 90-day superior discover interval and the service wished to construct in further supply time in case of mailing delays, Southwest mentioned. The service mentioned it’s open to persevering with negotiations with labor teams.
Southwest has requested labor teams to comply with pay cuts and different phrases to keep away from furloughs, which some unions have bristled at and argued the corporate didn’t take into account their cost-cutting proposals comparable to partially paid voluntary depart.
“As we speak marks a tragic milestone within the historical past of Southwest Airways,” Weaks mentioned in a video message to pilots.