Southwest Baggage Handlers Allege NY Weekly Payment Law Violation

Southwest Airlines is violating state and federal labor laws by failing to pay its baggage handlers weekly, a class action lawsuit filed Monday in New York federal court alleges.

Two baggage handlers at Long Island MacArthur Airport and Buffalo Niagara International Airport claim Southwest’s practice of paying handlers twice monthly violates New York labor law, which requires manual laborers to be paid weekly. The complaint, filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York, also alleges Southwest’s payment schedule violates the federal Fair Labor Standards Act’s prompt payment requirements. They claim Southwest’s failure to pay weekly ...