Southwest Settles Service-Member Pilots’ Benefit Claims for $19M

Southwest Airlines Inc. pilots would get about $19 million in sick leave and retirement benefits they say they were denied while on military leave, under a new proposed settlement.

The settlement, filed Sept. 13 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, is the latest in a class action brought against Southwest by pilot Jayson Huntsman and covering as many as 2,000 current and former employees. The pilots say the airline violated service members’ civil rights by allegedly failing to account for accrued sick leave benefits and to pay pension contributions while the employees took leave for ...