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Southwest announces possible furloughs at St. Louis, Kansas City airports

The furloughs will take place in March of next year
Credit: SLBJ
Southwest Airlines is the busiest carrier at St. Louis Lambert International Airport.

ST. LOUIS — Southwest Airlines has announced there could be involuntary furloughs at St. Louis and Kansas City airports in 2021

At St. Louis Lambert International Airport, a total of 110 employees would be furloughed, including 40 customer service agents, 14 operations agents, five provisioning agents and 51 ramp agents.

At Kansas City International Airport, 24 customer service agents, 13 operations agents, five provisioning agents and 59 ramp agents would be furloughed for a total of 101.

The furloughs at those airports would take place on or around March 15, according to a letter from Julie Weber, vice president of Southwest Airlines.

“Although we cannot predict with any certainty, based on the best information available to Southwest at this time, we expect that this furlough will last more than six months but will be temporary," Weber said in the letter.

On Thursday, the airline warned thousands of workers that they could lose their jobs unless labor unions accept concessions to help the airline cope with a sharp drop in travel caused by the pandemic.

The warnings went to 6,828 employees including more than 2,500 ground workers and 1,500 flight attendants represented by the Transport Workers Union and 1,221 pilots, who have their own union. 

The airline is optimistic it will not have to take these measures, a spokesperson said in an email to 5 On Your Side on Friday.

At the end of September, Southwest had about 58,000 employees, including 11,000 on long-term leave.

Dallas-based Southwest, the nation’s fourth-biggest airline, boasts that it has never furloughed workers in its history dating back more than 50 years. It encouraged thousands of workers to take buyouts or early retirement this year but avoided layoffs. 

American Airlines and United Airlines furloughed 32,000 workers between them in October.

    

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