Southwest Airlines Flight Attendants Stage Protest Over Airline's Failures

LAS VEGAS – On Tuesday afternoon, hundreds of Southwest Airlines flight attendants picketed outside the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Protesters expressed annoyance at the airlines’ repeated failures, which culminated in a system collapse during the Christmas vacation.

Lyn Montgomery, president of TWU Local 556 and chief negotiator, stated, “We’re fed up and things have been wrong for way too long,” “What transpired around the holidays is an external manifestation of Southwest Airlines’ internal problems. We’ve been warning Southwest Airlines for a long time that it has to invest in its technology and improve its response to winter storms.”

Failures in technology have been a major issue for flight attendants. Obsolete technology has made it harder for them to serve their guests.

“Southwest technology is badly outdated,” claimed Chris Albert, a flight attendant based in Colorado. Every time we request improved technology, we are told, “Every time we push for better technology it’s ‘oh we’re working on it.'”

Albert and his coworker Dani St. Onge travelled to Las Vegas to express their displeasure.

“Even on Friday, I had a cancellation when the flight was canceled immediately after boarding. Nevertheless, due to a lack of technology in our crew schedule, we were unaware of the cancellation until our passengers informed us “explained St. Onge.

Southwest Airlines replied to our comment request. The following statement was sent:

“Southwest Airlines has an award-winning culture that respects our Employees and encourages them to express themselves politely. We continue to negotiate with TWU556 and the National Mediation Board for a Flight Attendant contract that will allow us to continue to attract top talent.”

Credits: KTNV