FLORIDA NIGHTMARE — Federal Air Traffic Controllers conduct ‘mass sickout’ to protest Vaccine mandat

[Elderberry]

Citizen Free Press by Kane on October 10, 2021

FLORIDA NIGHTMARE — Federal Air Traffic Controllers conduct ‘mass sickout’ to protest Vaccine mandate…



UPDATE

Hundreds of flights today and yesterday have been postponed or canceled into and out of Florida. Legacy media is claiming the outages are due to bad weather, but word has leaked of a mass sickout at the FAA air traffic control center in Jacksonville in protest of federal Vaccine mandates.

More: https://citizenfreepress.com/breaking/florida-flights-cancelled-air-traffic-controllers-conduct-mass-sickout-to-protest-vaccine-mandate/

Flight delays blamed on limited staffing at Jacksonville air traffic control center, weather

https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/local/duval-county/flight-delays-blamed-limited-staffing-jacksonville-air-traffic-control-center-weather/OHOVJKKIHNHOHBNKHVVBZA34YI/

October 09, 2021 at 7:02 pm EDT
By Robert Grant, Action News Jax

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Mass flight cancellations were blamed on limited staffing at the Jacksonville Air Traffic Control Center in Hilliard and weather Friday night, according to the FAA.

Several flights in and out of Florida were either canceled or delayed Friday night.

Allison Hill went to Disney World with her family. She said their 9:50 p.m. flight Friday from Orlando to Houston was delayed and eventually canceled early Saturday morning.

On Saturday, they rented a car in hopes of getting a flight out of Tampa to get home.

STORY: Agencies team up to bring free healthcare resources to Moncrief neighborhood

”Having to search everywhere for a rental car and hotel and then the hours and hours in the airport have been really rough,” she said. The Hills had a flight on Southwest.

In a tweet, Southwest said, “ATC issues and disruptive weather have resulted in a high volume of cancellations throughout the weekend while we work to recover our operation.”

[libertybele]

I wouldn't fly right now anyways!

Southwest cancels more than a thousand flights, cites air-traffic control issues

Southwest Airlines canceled more than 1,000 flights this weekend amid air traffic control issues and weather, and the airline has not given an update as to whether the cancellations may continue.

"ATC issues and disruptive weather have resulted in a high volume of cancellations throughout the weekend while we work to recover our operation," Southwest said in a statement on Twitter Saturday. "We appreciate your patience as we accommodate affected customers, and customer service wait times are longer than usual."

According to FlightAware, a website that tracks cancellations and delays, Southwest has canceled 1,018 flights and had 597 flights delayed on Sunday alone. On Saturday, the airline canceled 808 flights and had 1,187 flights delayed.

Southwest gave FOX Business a longer statement on Sunday afternoon.

"We experienced weather challenges in our Florida airports at the beginning of the weekend, challenges that were compounded by unexpected air traffic control issues in the same region, triggering delays and prompting significant cancellations for us beginning Friday evening," the spokesperson told FOX Business.

"We’ve continued diligent work throughout the weekend to reset our operation with a focus on getting aircraft and crews repositioned to take care of our customers," the spokesperson added. "With fewer frequencies between cities in our current schedule, recovering during operational challenges is more difficult and prolonged. We’re working diligently to accommodate our customers as quickly as possible, and we are grateful for their patience."...........

https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/southwest-cancels-more-than-a-thousand-flights-cites-air-traffic-control-issues

[Ghost Bear]

Is it the weather? Or is it... something else?   

Is Southwest Airlines lying about “weather cancellations” when its pilots might actually be unofficially striking?

Southwest Airlines was forced to cancel around 34% of flights on Saturday leaving thousands of angry passengers stranded or frustrated about mixed signals coming from the airline. The official statement released on Twitter states the delays are directly related to “ATC issues and disruptive weather.” But some folks are telling a different story.

...

One frequent traveler, journalist, and podcaster tweeted an emphatic statement where he noted that one of his friends was caught up in the day’s mess but had received information from the gate agent that “thousands of pilots are on strike against the vaccine.”

...

Southwest Airlines, like many other airlines, is implementing a mandatory employee vaccination program, the details of which were recently announced last week. Employees must provide their vaccination status by November 24th or face termination.

Unions representing pilots and mechanics have steadfastly opposed such mandates and as was suggested by Rabinowitz’s tweet, they may be unofficially striking – if this information is to be believed. We emphasize that these reports are unconfirmed at this time. However, while their unions have filed lawsuits, they have also authorized protests pledging resources in support of such efforts. Are these protests already underway and affecting operations?

Excerpted, more at the link: https://cboardinggroup.com/is-southwest-airlines-lying-about-weather-cancellations-when-its-pilots-might-actually-be-unofficially-striking/

[mountaineer]

Pilots calling off sick. Here's a link to the pilots' union's motion for injunctive relief, filed against the airline.

... The  injunctive  relief  sought  will  restrain  the  Defendant  from interfering with the federal Railway Labor Act-protected rights of its pilot employees represented by SWAPA....

Several times since August 30, 2021, Southwest Airlines has taken new unilateral actions which violate the status quo between the parties in further violation of the Railway Labor Act.  Most recently, on October 4, 2021, Southwest Airlines unilaterally rolled out a new and non-negotiated COVID vaccine mandate for all employees, including SWAPA pilots.  The new vaccine mandate  unlawfully  imposes  new  conditions  of  employment  and  the  new  policy  threatens termination of any pilot not fully vaccinated by December 8, 2021.  Southwest Airlines’ additional new and unilateral modification of the parties’ collective bargaining agreement is in clear violation of the RLA.   ...

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txnd.352616/gov.uscourts.txnd.352616.11.0.pdf

[libertybele]

The weather has been fine in FL...my vote is they don't have enough employees because they refuse to get jabbed.

[Hoodat]

SWA is getting an early taste of what life will be like for them after Nov 24.  Their pilots will be 100% vaccinated, but there will be 40% less of them.

[mountaineer]

Email received of Alex Berenson:

URGENT: A Southwest Airlines pilot explains why you will not hear anything about vaccine mandates from his union - and why Southwest has more flexibility than it admits to stand up to the White House
Alex Berenson
   Oct 10

The pilot emailed following the first Southwest post today (and provided his SWA ID to prove his identity). He asked that I paraphrase the email.

Essentially, the union cannot organize or even acknowledge the sickout, because doing so would make it an illegal job action. Years ago, Southwest and its pilots had a rough negotiation, and the union would not even let the pilots internally discuss the possibility of working-to-rule (which would have slowed Southwest to a crawl).

But at the moment the pilots don’t even have to talk to each other about what they’re doing. The anger internally - not just among pilots but other Southwest workers - is enormous. The tough prior negotiations notwithstanding, Southwest has a history of decent labor relations, and workers believe the company should stand up for them against the mandate. Telling pilots in particular to comply or face termination has backfired.
—
Meanwhile, Southwest has more flexibility than it has acknowledged. Federal contracts represent about 3 percent of its revenue, but even the Biden administration CANNOT alter existing contracts (please note, I have not checked this, though it seems reasonable); Southwest is only at risk of losing future contracts.

This pilot believes that the fact that the airlines received $25 billion in no-strings-attached cash for “payroll support” last year (as well another $25 billion in loans) has made them particularly reluctant to stand up to the Biden administration. Southwest’s CEO, Gary Kelly, may be in an especially tough spot since he is the head of the airline lobbying group.
—
Finally: This pilot says he loves Southwest and finds the crisis painful but feels that if this is the only way Americans can stand up to these mandates, then let the chips fall.

[Hoodat]

.  .  .This pilot believes that the fact that the airlines received $25 billion in no-strings-attached cash for “payroll support” last year (as well another $25 billion in loans)  .  .  .

And there it is.  Government owns Southwest because they printed up $50 billion in fresh new money, gave SWA half, and lent them the other half.  If they balk at the government's demands, the loan gets called in.

btw, spoke with a Delta pilot earlier in the day.  Delta pilots are filing a lawsuit against the airline.

[Wingnut]

Does Slow Joe have the balls to pull a Reagan with the ATC?   Different situation but Lets Go Brandon.

[libertybele]

Does Slow Joe have the balls to pull a Reagan with the ATC?   Different situation but Lets Go Brandon.

 Slow Joe pulling a Reagan??? Not a chance.

[Hoodat]

Does Slow Joe have the balls to pull a Reagan with the ATC?   Different situation but Lets Go Brandon.

Are you kidding?  This White House would never acknowledge that air traffic controllers aren't showing up.  They would just blame all the problems on Trump supporters.

[mystery-ak]

Southwest Cancels 1,800 Flights Days After Pilots Fight Vaccine Mandates; Airline Claims ‘Bad Weather’

https://twitter.com/SouthwestAir/status/1446915196438581254

https://twitter.com/FAANews/status/1447249660884754441

more
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/10/10/southwest-cancels-1800-flights-days-pilots-fight-vaccine-mandates/

[Right_in_Virginia]

https://mobile.twitter.com/RMConservative/status/1447337264527429638

[Right_in_Virginia]

https://mobile.twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1447370652789379075

[Right_in_Virginia]

https://mobile.twitter.com/JDVance1/status/1447346504327475203

[Right_in_Virginia]

https://mobile.twitter.com/thechrisbuskirk/status/1447210518394007553

[SZonian]

Good for them...prayers up that they'll be able to make their point and still retain employment when this passes over.

Still looking for this so-called EO and I'll be using this "talking point" against my company that plans to push this bullshit against us.

I know, it's just a press release about "the brain dead bleep's plan" to force fedgov and fedgov contractors into compliance.  Going to use that against those in my corp.

Asking for your prayers, thoughts, whatever you're willing to throw my way in my fight against DOD corporate tyranny.  Thanks in advance.

[Cyber Liberty]

 

[Right_in_Virginia]

https://mobile.twitter.com/joshdcaplan/status/1447554999333101574

[Right_in_Virginia]

https://mobile.twitter.com/SenRonJohnson/status/1447555939108859904

[Right_in_Virginia]

https://mobile.twitter.com/JackPosobiec/status/1447354544430718982

[mountaineer]

Is it possible that the incompetence of Secretary Pete "Look, I'm a dad!" Buttigieg is all over this situation and the cargo ship crisis?

[mystery-ak]

Southwest Airlines Cancels Even More Flights as 'Issues' Worsen

As we reported earlier today, Southwest Airlines canceled hundreds of flights yesterday claiming, initially, that it was due to bad weather and that there were air traffic control issues.

But their issues continued, with another 1,000 flights canceled today, as well — almost 28% of their total flights. This was the second straight day of significant issues.

As we noted earlier, the claim of “weather” didn’t match what was happening in the country, and it wasn’t hitting other carriers. So, that wasn’t the real story. Fox’s Leland Vittert indicated that there was a “mass sickout” in protest of vaccine mandates. That many scrapped flights is obviously an internal problem, not weather.

https://redstate.com/nick-arama/2021/10/10/southwest-airlines-cancels-even-more-flights-as-issues-worsen-n454918

[mountaineer]

Days After Forcing COVID Shot On Workers, Southwest Airlines Cancels 1,800 Flights
October 11, 2021 By Jordan Davidson
The Federalist

Southwest Airlines canceled at least 1,800 domestic flights and delayed another 1,500 flights over the weekend, leaving thousands of U.S. travelers stranded and scrambling to find new transportation.

The widespread operational staffing shortage, which resulted in the termination of nearly 28 percent of the airline’s scheduled flights for the day, come less than a week after the company forced the COVID-19 vaccine on employees. Speculations swirled on social media that the cancellations were due to “sickouts” by employees protesting the shot mandate.

Southwest, however, told The Federalist that attributing the cancellations to the mandate is “unfounded rumor and speculation” and claimed the cancellations were due to “weather challenges” in Florida and “unexpected air traffic control issues in the same region.” ...

In addition to air travel problems through Southwest, U.S. travelers who are customers of American Airlines and Spirit suffered cancellations and delays, but not on the same scale.

Amtrak also reported cancellations due to “unforeseen crew issues” on Sunday. ...

I understand the weather was just fine in most of the places where flights were cancelled, and SWA's excuse is quite lame. My cousin's husband, last I heard, was stranded in Las Vegas because of the SWA pilots' sickout.

[Right_in_Virginia]