Southwest Airlines And AirTran Airways Aircraft Maintenance Technicians Ratify Seniority Integration Agreement

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Jun 21, 2012, 02:38 ET

DALLAS, June 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) is pleased to announce that Aircraft Maintenance Technicians (AMT) from Southwest Airlines, represented by the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA), and AirTran Airways, represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) Local 528, voted to ratify their Seniority Integration Agreement. This agreement integrates the two groups' seniority lists. Southwest Airlines finalized closing of the acquisition of AirTran Holdings, Inc., on May 2, 2011.

"I want to commend the Company negotiating team for their leadership in facilitating an agreement and the Unions for educating the membership and giving our Mechanics a chance to vote, and a voice in this process," said Jim Sokol, Southwest Airlines Vice President Maintenance Operations. "Our AMTs play a critical role in the success of our airline, and to have this step in the integration process complete is a testament to everyone involved."

AMFA represents approximately 1,750 Southwest Airlines Aircraft Maintenance Technicians, and the IBT represents close to 500 Mechanics from AirTran Airways.

Today's vote by the AMTs means they now join the Pilots, Flight Attendants, Flight Instructors, Dispatchers, and Ramp, Operations, Provisioning and Freight Agents as having successfully completed the Seniority Integration negotiation process. Work groups still in seniority integration negotiations include Customer Service Agents and Customer Support and Service Employees and Materials Specialists.

Southwest Airlines continues to differentiate itself from other low-fare carriers — offering a reliable product with exemplary Customer Service. Southwest Airlines is the nation's largest carrier in terms of originating domestic passengers boarded and has acquired AirTran Airways, now a wholly owned subsidiary of Southwest Airlines Co. Southwest serves 73 cities in 38 states and remains one of the most honored airlines in the world known for its commitment to the triple bottom line of Performance, People, and Planet. To read more about how Southwest is doing its part to be a good citizen, visit southwest.com/cares to read the Southwest Airlines One Report™. Based in Dallas, Southwest currently operates more than 3,300 flights a day and has more than 39,000 Employees.

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SOURCE Southwest Airlines