TAKE CARE.
>> AND BACK TO YOU.
>> TROUBLE BREWING AT SOUTHWEST
AIRLINES AS LOW COST CARRIERS
TODAY CANCEL NEARLY 200 FLIGHTS
IN CHICAGO ALONE AT A TIME WHEN
ISSUES ARE ISSUING VACCINE
MANDATES FOR EMPLOYEES.
ALSO ADDING TO DISRUPTION ARE
UNRULY CUSTOMERS RESISTING
COMPLIANCE WITH COVID PROTOCOLS.
>> I'VE INSTRUCTED THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
DEAL WITH THE VIOLENCE ON
AIRCRAFT COOLING FROM THOSE
PEOPLE WHO ARE TAKING ISSUES.
WE ARE GOING TO DEAL WITH THAT.
>> HERE TO DISCUSS DISRUPTION
VACCINE MANDATES AN MORE ARE
TRANSPORTATION SPECIALIST JOSEPH
SWEDERMAN AND DENNIS PAIGER AN
AMERICAN AIRLINES PILOT AND
SPOKESMAN FOR THE ALLIED PILOTS
ASSOCIATION.
WELCOME BACK THE CHICAGO.
JOY SOUTHWEST ISSUE
CANCELLATIONS THROUGHOUT THE
WEEKEND MORE TODAY, SOUTHWEST
BLAMING IT ON WHAT IS GOING ON
AT THE AIRLINES.
>> I'VE BEEN WATCHING AVIATION A
LONG TIME.
THIS IS A UNIQUE CASE BECAUSE
THERE'S NOT A SINGLE THING
THEY'RE POINTING TO CAUSED THIS.
I THINK IF YOU CUT TO THE CHASE
THE AIRLINES ARE CUTTING IT
REALLY CLOSE ON LABOR RIGHT NOW.
THEY'RE FACING SHORTAGES.
THEY'RE FACING RESIGNATIONS AND
YOU THROW IN AN UNEXPECTED EVENT
LIKE THIS FROM THINGS WE FOUND
WITH SOUTHWEST CAUGHT THEM OFF
GUARD, THEY SPIRALED AND
PROBABLY SUGGEST THERE'S
EMPLOYEE MORALE IN PLAY.
>> DENNIS PAIGER THERE'S REPORTS
OF POSSIBLE SICK OUT RESULT
HEARING ANYTHING LIKE THAT FROM
YOUR COLLEAGUES THAT'S
HAPPENING?
>> AS PROFESSOR SWEDERMAN SAYS,
ALL THE INDICATIONS EVEN FROM
SOUTHWEST AND THE METROPOLITAN
UNION WE REPRESENT THE AMERICAN
PILOTS IS THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO
WITH A MAN DATE WE WATCHED
AMERICAN HAVE THESE TROUBLE
THROUGH THE SUMMER, WEATHER HITS
THEY CAN'T RECOVER EFFICIENTLY,
THIESH HORRIBLE AT IT.
WE'VE CALLED THAT AND WILL
CONTINUE TO CALL THAT OUT AS WE
LOOK AT THE WINTER MONTHS AND BE
VERY PUBLIC ABOUT IT BECAUSE WE
DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO FAIL
SERVING OUR PASSENGERS.
>> COMING MONTHS HOLIDAY TRAVEL,
LET'S TALK ABOUT VACCINE
MANDATES UNITED AMERICAN
SOUTHWEST DO REQUIRE THE VACCINE
FOR EMPLOYEES BECAUSE THEY'RE
FEDERAL CONTRACTORS IN ADDITION
TO PRIVATE CARRIERS.
IS THIS THE RIGHT WAY TO GO?
>> I SUPPORT VACCINE MANDATES.
I THINK OVERALL THEY'RE A GOOD
IDEA.
I THINK IT'S UNFORTUNATE THOUGH
THAT THE PRIVATE AIRLINES GOT
SNARED IN THE FEDERAL CON
DRAMATIC FOR LAWS BUT IT REALLY
IS SORT OF A VERY PUBLIC SERVICE
ORIENTED APPROACH TO THEM BEING
CONTRACTORS IN TIMES OF WAR
RUNNING EQUIPMENT SO THEY DON'T
FEEL LIKE CONTRACTORS.
I THINK THAT'S WHY PERHAPS SOME
OF THE RESENTMENT IS GOING UP
AMONG LABOR THAT THEY ALONE ARE
FORCED TO GET VACCINATIONS
WITHOUT ALTERNATIVES AND THE
BIDEN MANDATE WHICH CAN AFFECT
ALL INDUSTRIES COULD LEVEL THE
PLAYING FIELD AND MAKE EVERYBODY
GET VACCINATED BUT RIGHT NOW
AIRLINE WORKERS SINGLED OUT.
>> RIGHT, SO OTHER AIRLINES THAT
ARE NOT FEDERAL CONTRACTORS ARE
NOT FEDERAL MANDATES.
DENNIS WE KNOW FEDERAL PILOTS
AND EMPLOYEES MUST BE
VACCINATED.
HOW ARE THEY AFFECTED?
>> THE 30 PERCENT, 4,000 PILOTS
ARE STANDING BY.
YOU BUY A TICKET ON AMERICAN OR
UNITED.
THEY HAVE REGIONAL AFFILIATES
THAT FEED THEM.
SOME OF THEM ARE OWNED.
SOME OF THEM ARE PARTNERSHIPS.
THOSE CARRIERS LIKE THE
PROFESSOR MENTIONED ARE NOT
FEDERALLY MANDATED BECAUSE
THEY'RE NOT CONTRACTORS SO THIS
IMAGERY THAT WE'VE GOT EVERYBODY
VACCINATED IS NOT CONSISTENT AND
THAT'S WHAT WE ARE CALLING OUT
ON.
THIS WE ARE NOT CALLING OUT THE
VACCINE AT ALL.
WE ARE JUST CALLING OUT THE
RATHER INCONSISTENT WAY IT'S
BEING DOLED OUT AND VERY
CONCERNED ABOUT THE APPROACHING
HOLIDAY AND WE ARE JUST ACTUALLY
LOOKING FOR A PAUSE IN EXTENSION
ON.
THIS WE'VE OFFERED UP EITHER A
TESTING FOR NATURAL IMMUNITY
AND/OR FREQUENT TESTING LIKE ALL
COMPANIES WILL LIKELY BE SUBJECT
TO, SO IT'S WORKED ON AIRPLANES.
I DID MY FIRST INTERVIEW WITH
YOU AT O'HARE.
>> WE DID.
VERY EMPTY O'HARE TERMINAL.
WHAT YOU'RE MENTIONING YOU BUY A
TICKET FOR AMERICAN YOU MIGHT
NOT BE FILING AMERICAN BUT ONE
OF THOSE CONTRACTING AIRLINES
THAT AREN'T SUBJECT TO FEDERAL
MANDATE.
LET'S HERE FROM AN AMERICAN
AIRLINES FLIGHT ATTENDANT WHO IS
HOPING FOR ALTERNATIVE OPTION.
>> I AM FOR MEDICAL FREEDOM AND
FOR ME I THINK ALSO IN ALERT
PLACES ARE DIVIDED.
IT CAME OUT AS FAR AS PEOPLE
COWORKERS ASKING IF YOU'RE
VACCINATED OR NOT, AND I SAY
THAT'S A PERSONAL DECISION.
>> IF I AM HONESTLY GETTING
READY TO BE FIRED I AM NOT GOING
TO COMPLY WITH THE MANDATE.
IF I'M PREPARED TO LOSE MY JOB
MY INCOME AND BENEFITS.
>> YOU HEARD DENNIS MENTION 30
PERCENT OF PILOTS IN HIS UNION
NOT VACCINATED, YOU HEAR FROM
THIS EMPLOYEE.
COULD THERE BE A CRITICAL
STAFFING SHORTAGE FOR HOLIDAY
TRAVEL?
>> THAT'S THE BIG SCARE.
THIS IS REALLY A TOUGH ONE
BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT VACCINES
ARE A GOOD THING BUT IT'S
DEVELOPED IN SOMETHING THAT'S
GOING TO RIPPLE THROUGH THE
AIRLINE STAFF OF MORAL ISSUES.
I THINK SOUTHWEST IS FAMOUS FOR
BEING LABOR SWITCH BETWEEN TASKS
BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION BY LOTS
OF FACTORS, THE WORKFORCE
BATTERED RIGHT NOW THERE.
WERE LAYOFFS, UNRULY PASSENGERS
NOW ON BOARD WITH THE MASK THE
FEELING OF TENSION SO I REALLY
HOPE THAT AS WE APPROACH THE
HOLIDAYS, WE GET THINGS BACK ON
TRACK BUT IT'S PRETTY SCARY
RIGHT NOW ON AIRLINES.
>> CRITICAL SHORTAGE OF WORKERS
SO MANY INDUSTRIES.
WE GET TO THE ISSUE OF SCUFFLES
IN THE AIR, PRETTY BAD LAST YEAR
18 MONTHS.
HOW BAD IS IT YOU'RE HEARING
FROM PILOTS AND FLIGHT
ATTENDANTS?
>> IT'S MUCH WORSE THAN BEFORE.
THE GOOD NEWS IT'S INFREQUENT
BUT WHEN IT HAPPENS IT'S VIOLENT
AND WE ARE PLEASED TO HEAR
PRESIDENT BIDEN CALL ON THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
ALL THE UNIONS OF THE AIRLINES
SENT A LETTER TO ATTORNEY
GENERAL GARLAND SAYING WE NEED
CRIMINAL PROCEDURES TAKEN ON
THESE ISSUES.
THE FAA STEPPED UP WITH FINES
MADE IT PUBLIC THE MOST
IMPORTANT THING IS YOU'RE
DISTRACTING THE CREW.
I'VE GOT TO DIVERT MY ATTENTION
ESPECIALLY IF THERE'S VIOLENCE
BACK THERE AND WE ARE AT 35,000
FEET NEAR THE SPEED OF SOUND,
THIS IS WHY IT'S GOT TO BE ZERO
TOLERANCE AND HAVE CONSEQUENCES
THAT GO BEYOND JUST THE MONEY
BECAUSE YOU'RE PUTTING MY AIR
PLIEN AND 170 PLUS CREW IN
DANGER IF YOU BECOME UNHINGED
FOR ANY REASON.
THE MAJORITY ARE MASK RELATED.
IT'S THE WAY IT IS.
EVEN WHEN I PUT IT ON FIRST
INTERVIEW WITH YOU IT'S WHAT
KEEPS US SAFE AND WE HAD CAN
CONTINUE THAT THROUGH THIS
DEBATE ABOUT MANDATES.