SWAPA President Casey Murray Calls for Strike Authorization Vote

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Southwest Airlines Pilots Association

Jan 18, 2023, 09:00 ET

DALLAS, Jan. 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, SWAPA President Captain Casey Murray issued a call for a Strike Authorization Vote from the Association's membership. This historic action on the part of the pilot union comes in the wake of Southwest's largest meltdown and the utter lack of meaningful progress on a contract negotiation, with scheduling work rules and information technology asks in particular, that has been ongoing for more than three years.

Captain Murray stated, "While your Board of Directors and Executive Officers have had many strategic discussions on timing, I think it is best to consider what our customers have been through over the past several years and the past several weeks. It was the lack of discussion or commitment by our leadership team to rectify these issues for our passengers and our pilots that drove us to make the decision to carry forward on this path afforded to us by the Railway Labor Act."

The vote will take place beginning on May 1 and will ultimately give the pilots the ability to strike once released to self-help. Murray continued, "We believe that May 1 provides a date that allows our union time to prepare and gives our customers time to book elsewhere, so that they can have confidence that their summer vacations, honeymoons, and family outings are assured."

The vote will be counted at the end of May. Murray also stated, "It is not a decision we have taken lightly, but given the trajectory of our current leadership group, we have little faith in the stability and future of our airline."

About SWAPA

Located in Dallas, Texas, the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA) is a non-profit employee organization representing the more than 10,000 pilots of Southwest Airlines. SWAPA works to provide a secure and rewarding career for Southwest pilots and their families through negotiating contracts, defending contractual rights, and actively promoting professionalism and safety. For more information on the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, visit www.swapa.org.

SOURCE Southwest Airlines Pilots Association