Southwest F/As Reject Tentative Contract

Southwest Airlines flight attendants voted overwhelmingly against a tentative contract that would have increased wages but involved changes in work rules that many thought were burdensome.

87 percent of voting flight attendants rejected the tentative deal, according to the Transport Workers Union. The union said it will continue negotiations with Southwest on the contract, which became amendable more than two years ago.

"Our membership has given us our marching orders," TWU Local 556 President Audrey Stone said in a statement. 89 percent of flight attendants voted in total.

Southwest's Randy Babbit said in a news release that the low-cost carrier was "disappointed" it did not pass. The deal would have run until May 2019 and given the work group an 8 percent ratification bonus.

Southwest "remains committed to reaching an agreement that best serves the interests of both the company and its flight attendants," it said in the release.