Flight Attendant Sues Southwest Over Unpaid Work Tasks
Southwest Airlines is facing a lawsuit from a flight attendant, Matthew Lanclos, who claims he and his colleagues are not being paid for various work-related tasks. The airline is expected to defend against the lawsuit by citing its collective bargaining agreement with flight attendants.
Lanclos argues that tasks such as pre-flight preparations, boarding passengers, and post-flight cleaning and deplaning should be compensated. He also contends that flight attendants should be paid for ground delays, time spent at TSA security checkpoints, and walking between flights. The lawsuit is based on Colorado's 'Wage and Hour Law', which Lanclos believes entitles him to be paid for all work-related tasks.
The airline industry trend is moving towards including boarding pay in total wage deals. However, Southwest's new contract, approved in 2022, maintains the status quo of not paying for boarding and deplaning duties. In 2021, Southwest was fined $1.3 million for violating Colorado's paid sick leave law. Lanclos alleges that non-flying hours often exceed legal limits, with workweeks sometimes exceeding 40 hours, workdays exceeding 12 hours, and shifts exceeding 12 hours.
Matthew Lanclos' lawsuit against Southwest Airlines challenges the airline's compensation practices for flight attendants. The case could potentially influence the industry's trend towards including boarding pay in total wage deals. Southwest is expected to defend its position using its collective bargaining agreement with flight attendants.
