Southwest mechanics vote against seniority integration deal with AirTran

By Kelly Yamanouchi

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Mechanics at Southwest Airlines voted against a deal to combine their seniority list with mechanics at AirTran Airways, posing a bump in the road on the merger path for Southwest and AirTran.

Dallas-based Southwest said the next step is for the mechanics' unions to file for arbitration. The company urged the two sides to reach a deal before arbitration begins.

The roughly 1,600 mechanics at Southwest are represented by the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association.

AirTran's more than 400 mechanics are represented by the Teamsters. The AirTran mechanics overwhelmingly voted to accept the seniority agreement, and the Teamsters said in a statement that "it's unfortunate that our members will now have to wait a while longer to gain the benefits of a merged seniority list" and combined labor contract.

Southwest acquired AirTran, the second largest airline at Hartsfield-Jackson, last year. The two airlines' pilots, flight attendants and flight instructors have already agreed on seniority integration. Other employee groups are still in negotiations.