Southwest Airlines considering furloughing thousands of employees for first time in company history

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO)– Southwest Airlines says it might have to furlough 6,800 employees this Spring to cut costs. Affected positions would includes ground crews, customer service agents, flight attendants and pilots.

A union representing some of those employees is trying to negotiate to preserve these jobs. Southwest has never laid off workers in its history, even earlier in the pandemic when other airlines did so.

The furloughs would take effect either March 15 or the start of April.