Southwest pilot tensions flare anew over arrival of B737 jets

Dallas

SOUTHWEST Airlines Co pilots, frustrated after four years of unsuccessful contract talks, asked the carrier to guarantee it won't force them to fly Boeing Co's newest 737 before the plane is negotiated into a new agreement for the 8,000 workers.

Adding the 737 Max before it's listed in a labour deal would violate a provision of the Railway Labor Act that requires both sides to maintain the "status quo" during talks, union president Jon Weaks said in a May 11 letter to Southwest chief executive officer Gary Kelly. The act governs negotiations involving airlines and organised labour, setting standards under which a strike can occur.