Southwest Airlines Co. has always been known for good labor relations but recently contract talks with flight attendants have stirred up trouble. Southwest's 7,300 flight attendants, represented by Local 556 of the Transport Workers Union, have been unable to reach an agreement with management over wages. While Southwest claims that their latest contract offer is very competitive, flight attendants argue that it would leave their wages 20% to 30% below the industry average.
See "Southwest Flies Into Labor Turbulence", James F. Peltz, Los Angeles Times, April 25, 2004