Pilots at Southwest Airlines have rejected the tentative agreement their union inked with management in March of this year.
More than 95% of Southwest pilots represented by the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA) engaged in voting, and nearly 51% opposed the tentative five-year pact
Elements of the deal included a pledge by Southwest not to pursue any codeshare agreements with domestic carriers without union approval, and to limit the number of codeshares it has with foreign carriers.
Some Southwest pilots had raised concerns after Southwest forged codeshare deals last year with Canadian low-cost carrier WestJet and Mexican low-cost carrier Volaris. Southwest has since pushed back the introduction of its codeshare with WestJet.
SWAPA will poll union members to better understand what pilots want to see readdressed in talks with the company. The union's board of directors will also meet between 8 June and 10 June to discuss returning to the bargaining table with Southwest.
Southwest and its pilots have been in negotiations since the pilot contract became amendable in September 2006.
"We are naturally disappointed and acknowledge it was a very close vote,"
Southwest vice president of flight operations Chuck Magill says in a statement. "We welcome the opportunity for our negotiating teams to re-engage and work toward an agreement that best meets the needs of our company and our outstanding pilots during these challenging economic times."
SWAPA represents more than 5,900 pilots at the airline.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
