Travelers wearing protective masks cross a street outside a Southwest Airlines Co. check-in area at Oakland International Airport in Oakland, California, U.S., on Monday, Oct. 19, 2020.
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Southwest Airlines on Thursday said it could furlough more than 6,800 employees because of a “lack of meaningful progress” in cost-cutting negotiations with labor unions.
Southwest like other airlines has been struggling because of the coronavirus pandemic’s devastating impact on air travel demand. If Southwest moves ahead with job cuts, they would be the first involuntary furloughs in Southwest’s nearly 50 years of flying.
The Dallas-based airline has sent federally mandated notices advising workers their jobs could be at risk to 6,828 employees, including more than 1,200 pilots, 1,500 flight attendants, 1,110 customer service staff, and more than 2,500 ramp, cargo and other operation staff.
Southwest has asked labor groups to agree to pay cuts and other terms to avoid furloughs, which some unions have bristled at.
“Today marks a sad milestone in the history of Southwest Airlines,” Jon Weaks, president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, the labor union that represents roughly 9,000 pilots at the carrier, said in a video message, which was seen by CNBC. “While this development is not completely surprising, it is incredibly disappointing to our pilots and their families.”
