Southwest Airlines and International Brotherhood of Teamsters Reach Tentative Agreement Benefiting Material Specialists

Southwest Airlines and International Brotherhood of Teamsters Reach Tentative Agreement Benefiting Material Specialists

Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) have reached a tentative agreement that covers more than 480 material specialists at the airline. This significant development comes as a result of collaborative efforts to ensure that the airline’s material specialists, who play a pivotal role in supporting the Technical Operations organization, have the necessary tools and parts readily available to maintain the aircraft.

A Timely Agreement

Adam Carlisle, Vice President of Labor Relations at Southwest Airlines, expressed satisfaction overreaching the agreement well before the amendable date for this contract. He appreciated the efforts of both teams in working together to reach a consensus that rewards the employees adequately.

Next Steps

The next phase involves the IBT communicating directly with its members to elaborate on the agreement's details and outline the voting process. This step ensures that all members are well-informed and have a say in the finalization of the agreement.

About Southwest Airlines

Based in Dallas, Southwest Airlines operates at 121 airports across 11 countries, holding a reputation as one of the world's most admired and awarded airlines. The airline, which took flight in 1971, is renowned for its friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel, carrying more nonstop air travelers within the United States than any other airline, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation's most recent report.

Southwest Airlines stands out for its employee-first corporate culture, maintaining a record of no involuntary furloughs or layoffs in its history, a testimony to its commitment to its over 71,000 full-time equivalent active employees. The airline carried more than 126 million customers in 2022, showcasing passionate loyalty among its customer base.

Sustainability Goals

Southwest Airlines is also steering towards a sustainable future to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The airline has outlined near-term targets and a four-pillar strategy to reach its environmental objectives, details of which can be found on its official website.

For more information about Southwest Airlines and its initiatives, visit Southwest.com/citizenship and Southwest.com/planet.