WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Southwest Airlines customer service employees overwhelmingly ratified a new five-year collective bargaining agreement that includes an immediate 13.1% wage increase, the IAM union said on Thursday.
The agreement covers 8,300 customer representatives and service agents and includes a 25.1% general wage increase over four years which IAM said will put its members at the top of the airline industry’s pay scale for customer service employees.
The labor deal also includes other benefits including higher bonuses and improved mandatory overtime protections for all employees.
(Reporting by David Shepardson and Rajesh Kumar Singh; Editing by Chris Reese)