Liz Burke, WPRO News
Some South West Airline employees gathered at various airports across the country for an informational protest. One of the locations was T.F. Green Airport in Warwick.
South West ramp agent and Protest Spokesman Ryan Sousa says they are informing customers of the company’s plan to outsource 20% of ground operation jobs.
“It will greatly affect our customers. We’ve been handling bags for 40 years now. Great success, on time and safely and outsourcing these jobs will negatively impact that safety and that on time performance,” said Sousa.
According to the information leaflet the protesters were handing out, they say their work is crucial to timely departures and flight safety among other things
“For them to take a system that has worked so well for 40 years and try to reinvent it when they don’t have to, seeing how we made record profits this year, it’s kind of a smack in the face to the hard work that we do,” said Sousa.
In response to the protest, South West Airlines said in a written statement that they “support their employee’s rights to express themselves”. They say they will “continue to actively participate in is discussions, making every effort to reach agreements with our unions that are rewarding, flexible and secure.”
