Southwest pilots union weighs holiday airport pickets to protest fatigue, lack of hotels

Southwest pilots union is considering picketing at US airports over Thanksgiving and Christmas to protest what it described as a frenetic increase in schedules, among other complaints, its president said Thursday. The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association told members in a video late Wednesday that it was weighing pickets and demanded the company address scheduling and fatigue. Casey Murray, president of the pilots union, said the company schedule means pilots are working additional shifts with little notice. The union’s message highlights the increasing tensions between Southwest’s pilots as well its flight attendants and the company over the airline’s push to ramp up flying to meet a revival in travel demand following the pandemic slump. American Airlines pilot and flight attendant unions have also complained this summer about a lack of food and hotels and poor scheduling. Airline staffing shortages this summer have exacerbated flight disruptions for tens of thousands of travelers. “Southwest Airlines has always strived to put our people first. This summer, the airline and travel industry have seen a multitude of operational challenges as we navigate the effects of the pandemic,” said Bob Waltz, Southwest’s VP of flight operations. “We routinely work with the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association on a variety of matters that affect our pilots, but we also have a responsibility to consider a number of factors before implementation of suggestions.”<br/>