Southwest Airlines lawsuit claims union workers avoiding overtime

[TexasTowelie]

Southwest Airlines has filed a federal complaint alleging union leaders told mechanics to decline to work overtime, a move the carrier says has harmed operations and driven up costs.

Southwest said in the lawsuit filed Wednesday in Dallas that the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association encouraged workers earlier this month to decline overtime opportunities.

The Dallas-based carrier says it relies on the overtime shifts to keep up with necessary maintenance work.

The company says there was a 75 percent drop in union workers who signed up for overtime shifts last weekend.

Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-southwest-mechanics-union-lawsuit-20170217-story.html

[mn9driver]

1. The Railway Labor Act makes it a violation to change the status quo while in negotiations.

If Southwest can prove AMFA did something to disturb that, a judge could impose a hefty penalty on them. It happened to the Allied Pilots Association at American Airlines years ago. It bankrupted the union. The company agreed to drop it later on.

I don't remember all the specifics.