Southwest Airlines' Material Specialists Approve New Agreement

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Mar 26, 2019, 10:00 ET

DALLAS, March 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) today announced the Company's Material Specialists, represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), have voted in favor of a new, five-year contract.

"With this new agreement, our Material Specialists will be rewarded with pay increases throughout the next five years, while the Company gains efficiencies across our operation," said Vice President of Labor Relations Russell McCrady. "I appreciate our relationship with the IBT, and both parties worked hard to reach the best solution for both our Material Specialists and Southwest."

"I am very pleased that our membership decided to ratify a mutually satisfactory agreement that was reached by union negotiators and Southwest Airlines working cooperatively," said Capt. David Bourne, Director of the Teamsters Airline Division.

The more than 300 Material Specialists at Southwest oversee the Company's technical operation inventory management across the network. The newly-ratified contract is effective immediately and becomes amendable in April 2024.

ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.

In its 48th year of service, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) continues to differentiate itself from other air carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by more than 58,000 Employees to a Customer base topping 120 million passengers annually. Southwest became the nation's largest domestic air carrier in 2003 and maintains that ranking based on the U.S. Department of Transportation's most recent reporting of domestic originating passengers boarded. In peak travel seasons, Southwest operates more than 4,000 weekday departures among a network of 100 destinations in the United States and 10 additional countries.

Southwest coined Transfarency^® to describe its purposed philosophy of treating Customers honestly and fairly, and low fares actually staying low. Southwest is the only major U.S. airline to offer bags fly free^® to everyone (first and second checked pieces of luggage, size and weight limits apply, some carriers offer free checked bags on select routes or in qualified circumstances), and there are no change fees, though fare differences might apply.

Book Southwest Airlines' low fares online at Southwest Airlines or by phone at 800-I-FLY-SWA.

SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co.