The dispute between Southwest Airlines and its mechanics union escalated on Thursday as the carrier filed a lawsuit accusing the workers of reporting trivial maintenance issues in an effort to take planes out of service and gain an advantage in contract negotiations.
In a lawsuit filed in federal court in Texas, Southwest LUV, +4.07% said it has seen a surge in “cosmetic and other minor maintenance write-ups that do not have any effect on the safety of flight,” such as a missing row number. The airline asked a federal judge force the union to stop promoting what Southwest describes as an illegal effort.
The union didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. Its leaders have previously denied allegations that they are engaging in a concerted “job action.” Union leaders have said that mechanics are calling out legitimate safety concerns. The lawsuit comes as negotiations for a new contract with the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association have dragged on since 2012.
Southwest said there have been more than 60 aircraft out of service on some days in February, compared with 14 aircraft typically undergoing maintenance on an average day. The result has been an increase in flight cancellations. Southwest canceled 117 flights Thursday — more than any other carrier, according to FlightAware, a flight-tracking website.
An expanded version of this report appears on WSJ.com.
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