Southwest Airlines Pilots File For Mediation

The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA) today filed for mediation with the National Mediation Board (NMB), the federal agency that oversees contract negotiations for the airline industry.

"We have been optimistic that we were closing the gap to achieve a new agreement, but the SWAPA Board stopped further negotiations and has chosen mediation as its next step," said Randy Babbitt, Southwest's Senior VP of Labor Relations. "We have the best, most professional pilots in the industry, and we want to ensure that they are not only fairly compensated for their excellence, but that their futures are secure."

Babbitt said that the company indicated its willingness to file jointly for mediation, which would have allowed the parties to seek Expedited Mediation from the NMB, a process that would likely lead to an agreement quicker than traditional mediation, but SWAPA declined that offer.

Southwest, the nation's largest carrier in terms of originating domestic passengers boarded, employs more than 7,000 Pilots.

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