Industry Update: Southwest Closes AUS and FLL Flight Attendant Bases
While union organizers may make claims about “job security,” even with a union contract, employees may be impacted by economic downturns and business decisions.
Just look at Southwest. Recently, it announced it will be closing two flight attendant bases: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. The company has also announced layoffs for some frontline agents and corporate staff, closed four stations, and significantly reduced operations in Atlanta and Chicago due to business pressures.
TWU Local 556, the union representing Southwest flight attendants, was only able to work with the airline and keep the bases open for one extra month. Even their most recent contract was not able to prevent these closures.
Business decisions that impact jobs have also happened at other carriers, regardless of union status. For example, over 400 employees were impacted when American Airlines closed its San Francisco crew base in 2023. United Airlines closed three of its international bases in 2020, leading AFA to file grievances over the impact of the move on their flight attendants.
The best “job security” is working for a strong, profitable company. At Delta, our operational reliability and strong financial foundation are what allows us to deliver more for our people than what a union promises.
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