![]() ![]() Southwest Airlines sent the following statement to ABC15 in response to the planned picketing: “All of these things have come to a head, and it is time for Southwest to make it right.” “Then, we add to that the pandemic, the safety and security issues that we have been, you know, dealt with passenger aggression, and then the health and safety issues that revolve around again, not having adequate rest or place, the sleep being sleeping on an airport floor,” said TWU Local 556 member and Phoenix-based Southwest Airlines flight attendant Michael Massoni. Some of those changes they listed include paying flight attendants when passengers are boarding and when they’re required to work outside of hours originally scheduled, providing access to food and a safe place to rest while on the job, and providing benefits like health insurance that continues coverage when an employee is injured on the job, is battling cancer, or had a baby. Flight attendants are demanding a new collective bargaining agreement that addresses the issues they feel are plaguing them and impacting their abilities to do their jobs. The union said the collective bargaining agreement it holds with Southwest Airlines became amenable almost four years ago. Off-duty flight attendants will gather with other supporters to demand what they consider better pay, safety on the job, and improved quality of life through a new contract with their employer, Southwest Airlines. The union said they need a new contract, and they are taking the fight to the picket lines. The flight attendants are members of TWU Local 556, the union of 18,000-plus flight attendants of Southwest Airlines. "The tools we use to recover from disruption serve us well 99% of the time, but clearly we need to double down on our already existing plans to upgrade systems for these extreme circumstances," Jordan said.PHOENIX - Thousands of off-duty Southwest Airlines flight attendants across the country are planning to picket Tuesday, including at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan said in a video message posted to the airline's social media Tuesday the company is doing everything it can "to return to a normal operation." That action, the flight attendant says, begins with taking accountability for the systems failures and learning from them for the future. And we're just we're done with the apologies. “A company of this size shouldn't have these problems. ![]() “And it's just falling on deaf ears right now,” they said. They described the company’s response as “unfulfilled promises” to be better. The flight attendant said the airline has seen similar, less catastrophic breakdowns in the past. The pilots union, the pilots, the flight attendants, the flight attendants’ union it's a constant thing that's been happening over the years that I've been with them," the flight attendant said. The worst part about it, though, in the eyes of the flight attendant who spoke with us, is that the airline knew it was vulnerable to such disruptions. In short, outdated technology systems and a point-to-point route map created the perfect storm for a devastating domino effect. And we have a lot of pain and disappointment.”ĭenver7 went in-depth on the technology and infrastructure factors that led to the operational failure at Southwest. “That's why I wanted to talk, because I want people to know that Southwest is a huge company. “This week, I cried with passengers,” they said. The flight attendant, who has worked for Southwest for several years and verified their employment with the airline to Denver7, said the anger of weary passengers has been unjustly directed at flight attendants and gate agents across the country. And so trying to talk to them to tell them exactly where we are, is not happening.” There are people waiting 17, 18, 19 hours to get a hold of scheduling. “I want to make it clear that this is not a crew scheduling issue,” they said. The flight attendant we spoke to, though, painted a picture of an airline that “imploded on itself” through sweeping technological failures, leaving both its passengers and its employees high and dry. Southwest has blamed Winter Storm Elliott and staffing challenges for the travel nightmare that has canceled thousands of flights and piled up thousands of unclaimed bags at U.S. That flight attendant spoke with Denver7 on Wednesday under the condition of anonymity for fear of repercussions for speaking out. ![]() DENVER - Southwest Airlines has nothing, and no one, to blame but itself for the holiday travel fiasco playing out in Denver and at airports nationwide, according to a veteran flight attendant who works for the airline. ![]()
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