Frontline workers for Southwest Airlines are threatening to picket over mismanagement, low staffing and scheduling issues as air travel continues to rebound.
According to ABCNews.com, unions representing Southwest’s pilots and flight attendants said the carrier is “severely understaffed,” forcing employees to regularly work the maximum number of hours permitted by federal law. Another problem being reported is that when flight crews arrive at their destinations, there is little to no hotel or food availability, with many employees complaining they cannot reach the company for help.
“We are united on this issue. Our flight attendants are weary, exhausted, and they can take no more,” Southwest union president Lyn Montgomery told ABC News. “We're asking that additional flights not be added to the schedule until the company can handle the flight schedules that we currently have.”
“We all want to get back to the pre-pandemic days, but we have to be able to handle things the way they are right now, the way things are still with the pandemic,” Montgomery continued.