Update on Southwest Airlines: Less a Sick-Out Than an Opt-Out of Overtime?

"Nice Deb" Heine spoke to an actual Southwest Airlines pilot, and he explained what happened over the weekend.

The carrier's 10,000 pilots "are the most conservative collection of white collar employees in the country," explained the pilot, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal. He estimated that at least 60 to 70 percent of pilots at Southwest are, like himself, former military.

The tyrannical mandate, he explained, erased all of the good will pilots and other conservative employees had felt toward their company.

That newfound ill will manifested itself over the three day weekend, not with an organized strike, but with many disgruntled employees calling in sick, or not signing up for overtime to help the airline fulfill the increase in flights typical for a holiday weekend.

That bit about not signing up for voluntary overtime is interesting, and I believe is a scoop by Heine and American Greatness.

Interesting tactic, if true. Their contracts may forbid sick-outs and the like, but nothing in their contracts would require they sign up for voluntary holiday overtime.

Assuming this is true (and I do), that means that Southwest pilots can essentially shut the airline down every holiday. And their contracts do not forbid this tactic.

Of course, Southwest says they'll be firing the Domestic Terrorists... the day before Thanksgiving. Good luck with that, fellas!

Meanwhile, United Airlines confirmed it would be firing 232 employees for refusing the vaccine.

posted by Ace at 03:38 PM

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