Southwest Airlines and the Mechanics' Union vie for canceled flights

Southwest and its more than 2,400 mechanics have been negotiating contracts for more than six years and the airline said the problems began after the last round of negotiations.

"On February 12, just days after our last round of negotiations with [the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association] We have experienced an unprecedented number of out-of-use devices in four specific maintenance sites, despite no change in our maintenance programs, no leadership changes, or any changes to our policies and procedures, "he said. said Mike Van de Ven, Southwest's chief operating officer, in a statement Tuesday night.

Van de Ven apologized to customers for cancellations and delays, and said the airline was using third-party maintenance workers as much as possible "which allows our Southwestern mechanics to cope with the load. increased work on the maintenance tasks they have identified ".

The outsourcing of maintenance work by Southwest has been a sore point in the contract negotiations with the union.

Van der Ven said the union "has a history of work disruptions".

The union responded by saying that the airline was "scapegoating" and that the mechanics "would continue to do our expert work for the safety of Southwest passengers".

"For Southwest's leadership, linking the airline's declared" operational emergency "to collective bargaining is simply an attempt to divert attention away from the company's security concerns," said Bret Oestreich, director Union in a statement.

In September, the mechanics rejected a contract offer that provided for an immediate 14.8% salary increase, annual increases of 3% and ratification bonuses of $ 91 million. The union had asked for a salary increase of 16.7%.

"Whatever the problem we may encounter with an airplane, we have an obligation imposed upon us by the operation of our aircraft. [Federal Aviation Administration] Oestreich said Wednesday evening in the afternoon. We hope that Southwest management will join this commitment to restore our safety culture and view this transition as an operational emergency, but the beginning of a new normal. "