Alaska Airlines Wins Washington Court Fight Over Leave Denial

Alaska Airlines Inc. defeated a challenge to its refusal to grant emergency leave to a flight attendant to care for her sick child, after the Washington Supreme Court held that a state family leave law doesn’t override the company’s labor contract.

Washington’s highest court on Thursday decided 5-4 to uphold a lower court ruling siding with Alaska Airlines. The Washington Department of Labor and Industries previously found that the airline violated the Washington Family Care Act by refusing to allow a flight attendant to take emergency leave on the ground that its collective bargaining agreement says flight attendants must schedule ...