Machinists Union files for mediation at Southwest Airlines

After more than two years of direct talks with Southwest Airlines, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) today announced it will file for mediation with the National Mediation Board (NMB), the federal agency that oversees contract negotiations in the airline industry. If the IAM’s application for federal mediation is granted by the NMB, the agency then begins the process of attempting to resolve the differences between the parties via mediated discussions. If no agreement can be reached through mediation, the Railway Labor Act (RLA)—the federal law that governs collective bargaining in the airline industry—has several mechanisms to bring both sides together, including arbitration and a possible strike.