DALLAS — A thousand Southwest Airlines pilots lined up across the Dallas Love Field Airport on Tuesday, demanding the airline sign a new collective bargaining agreement.
Captain Casey Murray was one of those pilots who was out holding a sign with his colleagues. He’s spent the last 15 years working for Southwest Airlines.
“Been flying commercially with just two airlines for over thirty,” Murray said.
Murray is also the president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association. The union organized the Tuesday informational picket, intending to get the ball rolling on a collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
As more people are expected to travel by air for the summer, the airline industry is dealing with a pilot shortage, which has also led to delays, cancellations, and pilots working more hours.
Murray says those problems are no different for employees of Southwest Airlines.
“I brought a lot of these same issues up nine months ago, and really, there have been no proactive steps taken, and our guests are feeling it, our pilots are feeling it,” he added.
The pilot of 30 years says that fatigue for himself and his fellow pilots is at an all-time high. Murray described countless situations where Southwest Airlines has rerouted pilots to different locations, leading to longer hours and sometimes they don’t know what city they’ll end up in. He said pilots want industry-leading pay and retirement benefits.
“You’re scheduled to go out eight hours and end up overnighting in Birmingham, Alabama. And you end up with a 14 hour day, and you end up in Omaha,” Murray said.
Spectrum News 1 reached out to Southwest Airlines’ officials about Tuesday’s picket.
A spokesperson responded through email, saying, “We’re aware that some off-duty pilots are participating in informational picketing today. Southwest Airlines respects the rights of our employees to express their opinions, and we do not anticipate any disruption in service as a result of this single demonstration.”
The email goes on to say, “For 51 years, we’ve maintained a legendary Southwest Culture that honors our valued Employees.”
Murray says, if no CBA is signed in the near future, then Southwest Airlines can expect to see pilots back out at Dallas Love Field and other airports in the U.S.
