Thread: Southwest Airlines is Having a Complete Meltdown as Hundreds of Flights Delayed or Ca

Southwest Airlines is Having a Complete Meltdown as Hundreds of Flights Delayed or Canceled in Mass ‘Sickout’

Kyle Becker

October 10, 2021


Southwest Airlines has become the latest major U.S. airline to mandate that employees receive the Covid-19 vaccination or lose their jobs. The airline is immediately suffering the consequences due to a reported mass ‘sickout’ that is causing severe delays and hundreds of flight cancellations.

“The Dallas-based company said its workers must be fully vaccinated by Dec. 8 in order to remain at the airline. Employees can seek approval to skip the shots due to medical or religious reasons,” KDVR reported.

The major airline carrier is now suffering severe operational disruption due to widespread reports.

“Southwest Airlines is suffering an operational meltdown this weekend as hundreds upon hundreds of flights have been delayed or canceled outright,” the Points Guy reported. “The airline is blaming weather and an air traffic control issue from Friday for the domino effect of cancellations.”

“Thousands of passengers have been stranded at airports, been forced to wait in long lines, or spent hours on hold trying to rebook their flights,” the report continued.





“Flight tracking company Flight Aware is reporting 27% of Sunday’s flights have already been canceled as of around 8 a.m.,” the report added. “The airline had said that things might improve today, but so far it’s actually gotten a bit worse. According to Flight Aware, Saturday saw some 800 cancellations. Sunday morning it’s worse with more than 1,000 flights canceled.”


News Nation Now’s Leland Vittert is reporting that there is a mass “sickout” affecting Southwest’s service.


“Airline sources: mass ‘sickout’ @FAANews center in Jacksonville – caused ripple effect and 1000+ flight cancellations mostly effecting @SouthwestAir – report ‘sickout’” protesting #VaccineMandate,” Vittert reported.

Southwest Airlines, however, is providing cover for the operational distruption by claiming there were “ATC issues” and “disruptive weather.”

The airline then called for customers to use ‘self-service rebooking.’ There were massive flight disruptions across the country reported.
“Florida was among the places hardest hit,” the Points Guy reported. “Tampa International Airport Spokeswoman Emily Nipps told the Tampa Bay Times the FAA imposed an air traffic management program on Friday night that grounded many Southwest planes. That led to a domino effect. Eleven out of 15 scheduled flights to Tampa Saturday night were canceled.”

“It was a similar story Saturday night in the San Francisco Bay Area where local news reported 11 flights to Oakland and 11 more to San Jose International were canceled,” the report continued.
“There were, indeed, major problems at Air Traffic Control in Jacksonville, Florida on Friday night,” the report added. “A staff shortage along with some storms led to many canceled or delayed flights.”

“Due to a combination of severe weather, active military training in the airspace, and unexpected limited staff at the Jacksonville facility that handles high-altitude, en route traffic, the FAA took steps to safely manage air traffic the evening of Oct. 8. Normal operations returned at approximately 10 p.m.,” the FAA claimed.

The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association is suing over new federal vaccine rules, Bloomberg noted. Both Southwest and American Airlines pilots unions warned that pilots might quit in droves if the federal vaccine mandate is implemented.

“Southwest said it has to mandate vaccines because of new rules from the Biden administration requiring companies with federal contracts to have vaccinated staffs,” KDVR reported. “Southwest’s work for the government includes flying the military in emergencies and carrying mail for the U.S. Postal Service.”

However, the Biden administration’s OSHA regulation that mandates qualifying employers ensure that their employees are vaccinated has not been formally issued despite having been announced over one month ago.
“Last week, rivals American Airlines, Alaska Airlines and JetBlue told their staff they needed to be vaccinated,” KDVR noted. “United Airlines in August was the first major airline to do so and has since said that more than 97% of its workers have been vaccinated. United also said it would put staff who couldn’t get the shots due to medical or religious reasons on unpaid leave until COVID-19 rates go down.”


NOW READ:

https://beckernews.com/southwest-air...sickout-42466/

Tom Sauer

@thomasbsauer



WELL WOULD YA LOOK AT THAT Quote Tweet






Leland Vittert



@LelandVittert


Airline sources: mass “sickout” @FAANews center in Jacksonville - caused ripple effect and 1000+ flight cancellations mostly effecting @SouthwestAir - report “sickout” protesting #VaccineMandate

Southwest Air Pilots Seek to Block Covid Vaccination Mandate

Mary SchlangensteinOctober 9, 2021, 1:02 PM EDT


Southwest Airlines Co. pilots asked a court to temporarily block the company from carrying out federally mandated coronavirus vaccinations until an existing lawsuit over alleged U.S. labor law violations is resolved.

The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association’s filing Friday also asked for an immediate hearing on the request before a federal court in Dallas, claiming the carrier has continued to take unilateral actions that violate terms of the Railway Labor Act, which governs airline-union relations. Those steps include the Covid-19 vaccination requirement.


“The new vaccine mandate unlawfully imposes new conditions of employment and the new policy threatens termination of any pilot not fully vaccinated by December 8, 2021,” the legal filing said. “Southwest Airlines’ additional new and unilateral modification of the parties’ collective bargaining agreement is in clear violation of the RLA.”

Southwest set the deadline on Oct. 4 under a federal vaccination mandate for employees of companies holding contracts with the U.S. government. Workers can seek medical or religious exemptions. The union represents 9,000 Southwest pilots.

“The airline disagrees with SWAPA’s claims that any Covid-related changes over the past several months require negotiation,” Southwest said in an emailed statement. The carrier is committed to working with its unions “as we continue navigating the challenges presented by the ongoing pandemic.”
Other policies the union seeks to block include Southwest’s Covid quarantine rules for pilots and an infectious disease control policy that it says significantly altered work conditions, rules and rates of pay, until the two sides negotiate a resolution to alleged contract violations outlined in its original Aug. 30 lawsuit. The changes violate a “status quo” provision of the RLA by not maintaining terms of an existing contract during negotiations, the lawsuit claimed.

Pilots are at a unique risk because adverse reactions to a vaccine could affect their ability to pass periodic medical examinations required to maintain their license. The union wants to negotiate, among other things, how such instances would be covered by long-term disability policies.

The case is Southwest Airlines Pilots Association v. Southwest Airlines Co., 3:21-cv-02065-M, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas (Dallas).

(Updates with company comment in fifth paragraph)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...nation-mandate

URGENT: A Southwest Airlines pilot explains why you will not hear anything about vaccine mandates from his union - and why Southwest has more flexibility than it admits to stand up to the White House

October 10, 2021

Alex Berenson


The pilot emailed following the first Southwest post today (and provided his SWA ID to prove his identity). He asked that I paraphrase the email.

Essentially, the union cannot organize or even acknowledge the sickout, because doing so would make it an illegal job action. Years ago, Southwest and its pilots had a rough negotiation, and the union would not even let the pilots internally discuss the possibility of working-to-rule (which would have slowed Southwest to a crawl).

But at the moment the pilots don’t even have to talk to each other about what they’re doing. The anger internally - not just among pilots but other Southwest workers - is enormous. The tough prior negotiations notwithstanding, Southwest has a history of decent labor relations, and workers believe the company should stand up for them against the mandate. Telling pilots in particular to comply or face termination has backfired.
—
Meanwhile, Southwest has more flexibility than it has acknowledged. Federal contracts represent about 3 percent of its revenue, but even the Biden administration CANNOT alter existing contracts (please note, I have not checked this, though it seems reasonable); Southwest is only at risk of losing future contracts.

This pilot believes that the fact that the airlines received $25 billion in no-strings-attached cash for “payroll support” last year (as well another $25 billion in loans) has made them particularly reluctant to stand up to the Biden administration. Southwest’s CEO, Gary Kelly, may be in an especially tough spot since he is the head of the airline lobbying group.

—

Finally: This pilot says he loves Southwest and finds the crisis painful but feels that if this is the only way Americans can stand up to these mandates, then let the chips fall.

https://alexberenson.substack.com/p/...pilot/comments

More Info Surfaces On Southwest Airlines Flight Cancellations and Pilot Push-Back Against Vaccine Mandates

October 10, 2021 by sundance


People inside Southwest Airlines are speaking out carefully and pointing out why there are so many flight disruptions. Essentially the background issues are what was discussed earlier, pilots are pushing back against vaccine mandates; and if you think about the curriculum vitae of a typical pilot it makes sense.


A big percentage of commercial airline pilots are former military pilots. That group of people carry a strong disposition toward the principles of patriotism, service, liberty and freedom.


It is a simple truism that upsets leftists, but it makes sense for this specifically skilled workforce group to the tip of the push-back spear.
Alex Berenson provides some background details after being contacted by a Southwest pilot: “The pilot emailed following the first Southwest post today (and provided his SWA ID to prove his identity). He asked that I paraphrase the email.


Essentially, the union cannot organize or even acknowledge the sickout, because doing so would make it an illegal job action. Years ago, Southwest and its pilots had a rough negotiation, and the union would not even let the pilots internally discuss the possibility of working-to-rule (which would have slowed Southwest to a crawl).


But at the moment the pilots don’t even have to talk to each other about what they’re doing. The anger internally – not just among pilots but other Southwest workers – is enormous. The tough prior negotiations notwithstanding, Southwest has a history of decent labor relations, and workers believe the company should stand up for them against the mandate. Telling pilots in particular to comply or face termination has backfired. (read more)

This account is being confirmed by multiple people in/around the industry on social media:




As we previously outlined, this is not about vaccines per se’, this is more about a slippery slope of having the government dictate how you can live your life and earn a living.


If they can force you to have a medical procedure, and then carry documentation of that procedure in order to work,… why can’t they force you to get a small electronic implant of your identification, which would coincidentally include your medical authorizations for work?
It’s just a metal detector…. it’s just taking off your shoes… it’s just wearing a mask…. it’s just a vaccination….. it’s just a COVID passport… it’s always, “just”.


Factually I do not believe a federal mandate for a vaccine is even possible or legal. It appears to me that all of Biden’s threats in this regard are simply that, threats.

The purpose of the threat is to push people to take the vaccine without actually attempting a legal federal mandate; and that approach so far has been successful. However, now they are going to encounter the more hard-core groups who will not concede liberty or freedom to a federal mandate.

It is obvious Anthony Fauci also knows a federal mandate will lose in court when challenged. The fact that Fauci brings up state vaccination requirements for education, as examples of historically forced vaccinations is both a strawman argument and structurally false. There has never been a FEDERAL mandate for any vaccination. All the vaccinations Fauci discusses (ex. his kids) were state mandates. Each state also has a different set of standards and laws for children and vaccines. There is nothing federal.

The federal government is attempting to set up a federal work authorization standard for private businesses. Non compliance means you cannot work, or you lose your existing job if your employer goes along with the government demand. THAT alone should alarm everyone.

There is a particularly enraging irony in that Joe Biden’s federal DOJ and Dept of Labor do not enforce employment eligibility authorization for illegal aliens based on legal status, while at the same time the Biden Dept. of Labor is putting OSHA in charge of a federal policy that will enforce vaccination requirements. Go figure.

All of the federal exemptions essentially undermine the “national health emergency” argument, because if there really was such a public health emergency there would be no exemptions at all. The application of the executive order undermines the actual cornerstone of the executive order itself. It cannot withstand scrutiny…. hence, Biden doesn’t actually put any rules or regulations into writing because that gives lawsuits something specific to file injunctions against.

In the interim as the freedom coalition digs-in to mount a patriotic challenge the authoritarian attempt of the federal government, the rebellious alliance is hitting back in unique ways as noted by the Southwest Airline pilots and Air Traffic Controllers, both groups hold a significant military service record.

Another group we are seeing push-back against the federal effort comes in the form of local law enforcement. Again, another private sector group that has a heavy percentage of former military service members amid the ranks.

The blue-collar effort to bolster the resistance by these groups does not have to be too massive to have an impact. Remember, almost all of these leftists and elite-minded communists who now operate as Democrats have no capacity for self-sufficiency. If the working class stops picking up their trash; stops mowing their lawns, shopping for them, doing their cleaning and essentially facilitating their lives, this entire group of people cannot function.






Posted in 1st Amendment, 4th Amendment, Air Travel, Big Government, Big Stupid Government, Big Tech, CDC, Communist, Coronavirus, Economy, Fabian Socialists - Modern Progressives, Infectious Disease, media bias, Notorious Liars, NTSB, Socialist, Uncategorized

https://theconservativetreehouse.com...cine-mandates/

The Democrats and Rino's are destroying every business in this country and they are not done yet.

Somebody please step in, arrest these Treasonous swamp rats, and put them in jail. They have a laundry list of charges to file against them!!!!

Pelosi needs to be hauled out of our White House by our military immediately!