Dallas (WBAP/KLIF) – There are many questions surrounding Southwest Airlines declaring an ‘operational emergency’ over the weekend; that, because the number of planes taken out of service had doubled. The declaration was made Friday by Southwest’s Sr. Director Tech Ops Production Lonnie Warren.
All airline mechanics were told to report to work or face termination, according to the Dallas-based carrier’s mechanics union. The union is in the middle of contract negotiations with the airline and has claimed in the past that Southwest maintenance engages in “coercive” tactics.
On the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, a letter regarding Southwest members read, in part:
This declaration of a State of Operation Emergency occurs just eleven (11) days after a CBS News report detailing the efforts of Southwest maintenance to resist coercive pressure to ignore aircraft damage and the FAA’s confirmation of the degraded safety culture at Southwest. The CBS report exposed a problem so severe that two United States Senators have called for a congressional investigation.
Unfortunately, Southwest’s response has been to increase the level of coercion and further degrade safety. Southwest operates with the lowest ratio of technicians-to-aircraft of any major carrier. As a direct result of the Southwest-created emergency: (1) sick mechanics who have not had the opportunity to see a doctor will have to work through their illness, (2) vacations, holidays, and shift trades will be disrupted, (3) bid seniority will be dishonored, and (4) technicians will be forced to work mandatory overtime irrespective of their child care obligations or state of fatigue. Southwest expressly warns that our compliance will be obtained via threat of termination.
The emergency affected Southwest’s fleet of Boeing 737s. Specific problems varied according to a statement from Southwest.
According data from the flight tracking sight, FlightAware Friday,100 southwest flights were canceled, and more than 1,000 were delayed … more than any other U.S. carrier.
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