A Precedent-Setting Agreement
The agreement arrived after the parties filed notice of a deal in February, narrowly avoiding a pivotal hearing on Southwest’s motion to decertify the class. The airline had argued that the class certification, granted in 2021, was flawed due to individualized issues within the group.
Despite that, the class achieved not only monetary relief but also a sweeping policy change. In contrast, the only other airline that resolved similar claims had agreed to just four days of paid military leave. United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and American Airlines continue to fight comparable lawsuits, with American recently securing class decertification in its own case — a decision still under appeal.
Settlement Class and Counsel
The final settlement class covers all current or former Southwest employees who took short-term leave between Oct. 10, 2004, and Jan. 1, 2026, and were under a collective bargaining agreement — excluding a group of meteorologists represented by Transport Workers Union Local 550.
The plaintiffs are represented by Outten & Golden LLP, Riverside NW Law Group PLLC, Peter Romer-Friedman Law, The Barton Firm LLP, and the Law Office of Thomas G. Jarrard PLLC. Southwest is defended by Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP.
While Southwest declined to comment, the settlement secures what advocates are calling the strongest military leave package in the airline industry, setting a new bar for employee protections.
