Pilots at Southwest Airlines are asking the federal government for help in settling stalled contract negotiations with the Dallas-based air carrier, saying the two sides have “not made significant progress” in more than two years of talks.
The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association said Wednesday that it needs federal intervention from the National Mediation Board to resolve the most contentious sections of contract negotiations with the company, including pay, benefits, retirement and scheduling.
While the union and its 8,300 pilots are prohibited from going on strike without going through a series of steps overseen by federal labor regulators, it does move the airline one step closer to a contract impasse that could eventually result in a walkout.
