Southwest Airlines, Union Agree on Contract

Southwest Airlines and the Transport Workers Union have reached a tentative agreement for a new contract covering Southwest’s ramp, operations and provisioning agents.

The Dallas-based airline said it won’t release details on the proposal, subject to a vote by the Dallas chapter’s membership, pending the ratification process.

“We had been in negotiations for some time,” said Beth Harbin, a Southwest spokeswoman. “They’re an excellent group of employees and they deserved recognition for their hard work. I think this agreement will do that.”

The airline said the National Mediation Board helped arrange the agreement.

The current contract was negotiated in 1995.

Ramp, operations and provisioning agents make up about 5,300 of Southwest’s 30,000 employees.

Union representatives could not be reached for comment.