Southwest Pilots Sue Carrier to Block Flying of Boeing’s Max
- Union says plane being used as ‘illegal gun to the head’
- Carrier maintains Max is covered by existing labor agreement
Southwest Airlines Co. Boeing 737 aircraft stand at their gates at Terminal 1 of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in Los Angeles, California, U.S., on Tuesday, August 18, 2015.
Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Southwest Airlines Co. pilots’ union asked a federal court to block the carrier from flying Boeing Co.’s newest 737 until the plane is negotiated into a new contract for the 8,300 aviators.
The union also wants the court to order Southwest to stop “delaying and frustrating bargaining” and fulfill its legal duty to make every effort to reach a contract if the airline wants to fly the 737 Max when it’s delivered next year. The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association sued Monday in Dallas federal court.