Southwest Faces Lawsuit Over Unpaid Flight Attendant Ground Duties
Southwest Airlines faces a lawsuit from flight attendant Matthew Lanclos, who argues that the airline should pay for boarding, deplaning, and other ground duties. This comes as other major US airlines like American, Delta, and Alaska have already implemented such compensation.
Lanclos, represented by the law firm Hagens Berman, contends that Southwest's current contract, approved in 2022, disadvantages flight attendants by not paying for tasks such as pre-flight preparations, passenger boarding, deplaning, cabin cleaning, and ground delays. He alleges that Southwest owes him and similar workers unpaid minimum wages and overtime compensation for these duties.
Lanclos points out that American, Delta, and Alaska Airlines have contracts or offers that include boarding pay for flight attendants. He believes that Colorado's 'Wage and Hour Law' entitles him to be paid for all time spent at work. The lawsuit aims to challenge Southwest's collective bargaining agreement and change the airline's policy on this matter.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, seeks to represent all Southwest flight attendants who have performed unpaid work duties since 2018. The airline is expected to defend its position based on its existing collective bargaining agreement with flight attendants. This case could potentially set a precedent for the airline industry, as the trend is moving towards including boarding pay in total wage deals.
