Southwest Airlines pilots vote to authorize a strike as they push for higher wages in the new contract

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By Associated Press

May 12, 2023 | 6:46 a.m

Southwest Airlines pilots voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike, their union reported Thursday, a move unlikely to lead to a walkout in the near future but designed to put more pressure on the airline during contract negotiations.

The union said that 99% of the members who participated voted in favor of the strike, with a turnout of 98%.

Southwest said the vote had no impact on its operations.

“We have staff on hand and are ready to welcome travelers for their summer travel plans,” the company said in a statement.

The vote result was widely expected after a similar result at American Airlines, but that doesn’t mean a strike is imminent.

Under US law, airline workers cannot legally strike unless federal mediators decide that further negotiation is pointless.

Even then, the president and Congress can prevent a strike.

Southwest Airlines pilots have voted to authorize the strike, though the vote has no impact on its operations, according to Southwest.

Casey Murray, president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, said the union will petition brokers for permission to strike, but will follow the process laid out in the law.

Etihad and the Dallas-based airline have been negotiating a new contract for more than three years.