A Southwest Airlines flight attendant whose husband died of COVID-19 is suing the carrier, alleging it failed to follow safety protocols at an employee training event and led to the worker contracting the disease and passing it on to her spouse. Market data provided by ICE Data Services. See the sources for this fact-check Social media posts are sharing a claim that. While some staff at airlines and other large companies have spoken out against vaccine requirements, comments on social media have created an exaggerated sense of the dissent, according to Moran, the misinformation scholar at the University of Washington. She also said that on the day she was grounded, the airline stranded her in Denver and the FBI had to book her a United Airlines flight so she could return home to Florida. Thirty-three pilots at Dallas-based Southwest Airlines have tested positive, their union said. ICE Limitations. 03/01/2023 09:00 AM EST. "Maybe for policy reasons, they think this is going too far in terms of what we make employers responsible for. After five weeks of training, she and other newly minted flight attendants just wanted to go home. I feel sorry for her, Salnick said. The Federal Air Surgeon made this determination after evaluation of available medical information about these COVID-19 vaccines and potential side effects. (Chris Sickel). Southwest like its rivals paid incentives for thousands of employees to quit last year, only to be caught short when travel picked up this summer. Moselle crime scene: What will Murdaugh jury see? The crisis peaked on Sunday, when the airline canceled more than 1,100 flights, or 30 percent of its schedule. A Southwest Airlines flight attendant died from COVID-19 less than two months after he tested positive following a work trip to Hawaii, his family and friends told USA TODAY on Thursday.. Dr. Marc Siegel: The COVID-19 vaccine is not something Americans should fear. The union did not respond to a phone call seeking comment. With masks in short supply, they often have to bring their own equipment. False rumors online suggested the cancellations may have been linked to pilots walking off the job or calling in sick to protest mandatory vaccinations for COVID-19. Severe infections of COVID-19 among those who are vaccinated are extremely rare,. Snopes is still fighting . Vague, familiar-looking "friend of a friend" stories are a dangerous form of misinformation because they "feel like insider information being shared by individuals directly involved in the action," according to Rachel Moran, a misinformation scholar at the University of Washington. Southwest Air Pilots Seek to Block Covid Vaccination Mandate (Bloomberg) White House says millions of government contractors must be vaccinated by Dec. 8 (Reuters) Follow me on Twitter . Texas Senator Ted Cruz was one of those who speculated that the mandate introduced by President Joe Biden, that all federal workers must be vaccinated against COVID-19, was the reason for the cancellations. Maurice Reginald "Reggie" Shepperson of Las Vegas tested positive for the novel coronavirus in. Southwest Airlines canceled more than 1,000 flights, 27 percent of its schedule, on Sunday as disruptions that the airline blamed on air traffic control issues and bad weather affected the. The commercial pilot said he had not contracted the virus but while he and his colleagues took every possible. Thanks for contacting us. A federal judge has rejected an effort by pilots to block Southwest Airlines from imposing a COVID-19 vaccine mandate, saying the carrier has the right to require employees to get their. Vague and anonymous messages on social media speculated that Southwest was hiding the real reason for its disruptions. Southwest said that bad weather and air traffic control issues were to blame for the cancellations, but declined along with the pilot's union to say exactly how many employees missed work, the AP reported. (Chris Sickel), "It felt great," he said. Market data provided by Factset. And that wasnt Haaks final flight he flew for three more weeks. Legal Statement. She said he bolted the door so no flight attendant could enter. Janning said that when they reached cruising altitude, Haak told her this was his final flight and there was something he wanted to do before retirement. A Texas judge on Tuesday dismissed a request for an injunction against an impending vaccine mandate brought by a union that represents pilots at Southwest Airlines, a . ), First published on August 31, 2021 / 8:05 PM. Southwest last week moved to dismiss Madden's lawsuit. He said Haak rejected those and adamantly denied a lewd act occurred. The potential and the peril here are huge, John Oliver said on his show about AI and programs like ChatGPT. A bell that tolled that Chris, although not recovered fully, was well enough to go home. In afilingin the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, the airline said it was impossible to prove Madden got COVID-19 at the training. Southwest has only said that bad weather and air traffic control issues in Florida on Friday triggered cascading failures in which planes and pilots were trapped out of position for their. Shepperson started using his employee flight perks. Following 808 cancellations on Saturday . "Bad weather and ATC issues in Florida, a large operation for us, on Friday night created significant flight disruptions throughout our network and we spent the weekend working to recover from the high number of displaced Crews and aircraft. But flight delays and cancellations are still common. "Signs everywhere for social distancing, smaller groups, they sprayed down all tables and chairs in the classroom before we were allowed in after prior class and one instructor is handing out are [sic] bagged lunches! Although this "led to heavy breathing and contact with shared surfaces, Southwest failed to sanitize Bob or any of the other equipment used," the complaint alleges. But he was just like a teddy bear, so sweet on the inside and very, very loving. In June, he took his mother along for the ride. The airline said dozens of its employees had died after coming down with Covid. Southwest Airlines is experiencing a fifth straight day of widespread cancellations. Family: Pilot in Nevada medical flight crash had 'affinity for aviation' Official held in killing of Las Vegas reporter aims to drop lawyer and represent himself 2 bills seek to secure gender . The vast majority of those who did become severely sick (74 percent) were age 65 or older, the data shows. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Delta Air Lines said this week that it will temporarily stop selling middle seats to passengers unless they are family members. His next COVID-19 test came back positive. "Today's operation is closer to normal with a small number of cancellations linked to our recovery efforts.". The virus and medical procedures to save his life took a physical toll. This story has been shared 116,307 times. It hurt me so bad because it was just so quick, she told USA Today. But courts have split when it comes to ruling on whether employers are responsible. Casey Murray who is president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association blamed management for the companys staffing shortages and flight delays. "She said my lips were blue and my fingernails were blue. SWAPA said that they have not had any "meaningful conversation" with Southwest about the possibility of any other type of qualified exemptions, such as levels of antibodies or natural immunity. "People are more vulnerable to misinformation in times of crisis, and these labor shortages and supply-chain delays either create a real sense of crisis or are manipulated by misinformation spreaders to make it appear like we are heading towards crisis. Most airlines now require employees to get a COVID-19 vaccine, but some pilots at American and Southwest are fighting the mandate, claiming potential career-ending vaccine side effects. One of the first trips, Lee recalls, was to China. She alleges Southwest had sent Haak to a Montreal sexual harassment counseling center after a 2008 incident involving a flight attendant. He died in August of 2020 shortly after contracting COVID-19. And we dont want to miss our familys lives, he said. While he still will have to go through weekly outpatient rehab, Sickel is ready to go back to normal: swimming,hiking, outdoor activities and getting back in the cockpit. As anticipation was brewing for the arrival of Christmas this past December, millions of people packed their suitcases (more on that later) and . Chris sayshe will have weekly outpatient rehab to regain his strength. ET: This article was updated with comment from Southwest Airlines. So the ringing of that bell wasin essence an untolling of COVID-19's effects on his health. His email is Frank.Miles@foxnews.com. A U.S. Army flight surgeon is warning that known side effects associated with the COVID-19 vaccines pose a potentially deadly risk to pilots and is alleging the Army isn't following Department of Defense protocols to screen pilots for those potentially deadly side effects. Conservative figures and politicians opposing vaccine and mask . Unions for frontline workers including pilots and flight attendants have blamed management for many delayed and canceled flights. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Is Chinas threat akin to rise of Nazi Germany? A Southwest Airlines jetliner taxis down a runway at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Tuesday, October 12, 2021, in Cleveland. However, Captain Casey Murray, president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA), dismissed the "false claims" of a vaccine mandate-related walkout as the reason for the disruptions in a statement on Sunday. The traveling public will be safer and more willing to travel once restrictions are lifted if they are aware that flight crews are tested, Tajer said. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. He previously worked as a business journalist for the Orlando Sentinel, Tulsa World and The Monitor in McAllen. Maurice 'Reggie' Shepperson, 36, died at Henderson. Tue, Feb 28, 2023 LOGIN Subscribe for $1 While Carol Madden recovered, her husband was admitted to the hospital August 1 and died a week later at age 73. in the DFW area that need your help or can provide help during Early in the pandemic:American Airlines flight attendant dies of coronavirus, elevating fears in the industry, 'Reminder of this pandemic's reach':Two JetBlue employees died of coronavirus complications on the same day, 'She needed the money':Family grieves loss of Phoenix flight attendant, 79, from COVID-19. It's not real.". Janning said that when she contacted the union, its leaders did nothing to help her but did write a letter to Haaks judge during his misdemeanor case saying he had a spotless record. This story has been shared 114,570 times. Early numbers show 7% of Southwest flights have been canceled today. 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Allied Pilots Association, which represents 13,800 American Airlines pilots, wants the airline to provide more protections for both pilots and flight attendants as they are the only group traveling repeatedly and rapidly across the country today.. He loved to fly and took every precaution,wearing a mask, constantly washing his hands, sanitizing surfaces and wiping everything down in hotel rooms, Hildreth said. (Chris Sickel) Sickel had no underlying conditions. For more reporting from the Associated Press, see below. He worsened at the beginning of December. Southwest Airlines previously said in a statement that as a federal contractor they have "no viable choice" but to comply with the government's vaccine mandate. Southwest has only said that bad weather and air traffic control issues in Florida on Friday triggered cascading failures in which planes and pilots were trapped out of position for their. Meanwhile, Janning didnt report the incident to a Southwest employee relations investigator until three months later. This is mind-blowing, the grieving mom added. NewsNations Brian Entin took a trip through Moselle and shared what he saw Tuesday on Banfield., I would say that it is, Green answered. Lt. Col. Theresa Long recently filed an affidavit stating there is a risk of Myocarditis, a condition that causes . "A realaccomplishment. And anti-vaccine rallying cries such as #DoNotComply, #NoVaccineMandate and #HoldTheLine were among the 10 most popular hashtags tweeted in connection to Southwest over the weekend, according to a report from media intelligence firm Zignal Labs. (Nearly 40 lawsuits have been filed against airlines, most of them relating to customer refunds, according to the firm. A small Mexican airline Aeromar has announced it's closing due to financial problems after trying to recover from the pandemic. But as pilots and flight attendants continue to fly with much of the rest of the economy shuttered, they want even more protection. She says Haak, a 27-year veteran of the airline, had used his seniority rights the previous day to bump another pilot who had been scheduled to command the flight. Biden's impending COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal workers, including airline employees, has created turmoil among Southwest Airline workers. The COVID-19 pandemic abruptly changed the supply and demand balance for airline pilots. A spokesperson for Cruz did not respond to emailed questions from The Associated Press about whether the Republican senator had any firsthand knowledge of pilots or air traffic controllers skipping work. "We were significantly set behind on Friday.". Asked on Tuesday to respond to claims that vaccine mandates have reduced the workforce and contributed to supply-chain disruptions, White House press secretary Jen Psaki took a jab at Cruz sarcastically labeling him a "world-renowned business, travel and health expert" before defending Biden's policy. But flight delays and cancellations are still common. Salnick says this incident never happened and Haak was never sent to a counseling center. The pilots association that represents 9,000 Southwest Airlines pilots is asking a federal judge to block the airline from carrying out the vaccination mandate required by the federal government. Travelers face flight delays, cancellations for fifth day Like many airlines, Southwest was forced to cancel 20,000 flights planned for this summer, saying it would help them keep the remaining schedule. Delta Air Lines took the unusual step of publicly disputing a viral rumor spread by an anti-vax podcast, which claimed one of Delta's pilots recently died mid-flight days after getting a. Just very fun to be around.". In a lawsuit filed asking for $3 million in damages, Madden claims Southwest ignored public health guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at the day-long training event. "Suddenly, we're short on pilots & air traffic controllers. A memorial page of a magazine for American and Canadian airline pilots has been used to . The Associated Press contributed to this report. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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Matt is passionate about the aviation industry and has become an expert in passenger experience and human-centric stories. A coworker who shared a desk with Madden tested positive for COVID-19 three days after the event, but Madden only learned of the diagnosis from the colleague's Facebook post. A fully vaccinated 36-year-old Southwest Airlines flight attendant from New York died after contracting COVID-19. However, vaccinated people who have breakthrough infections are much less likely to get severely sick or die. Pilots and flight attendants have repeatedly pushed Fort Worth-based American for better protections as the virus spread into a global pandemic. The question is, why are we having a staffing shortage? Its not real. People that I don't even know, once they find out I'm Reggie's mother said, Maam, you did a beautiful job. In the letter to the organized pilots, Ferguson noted that while the . This is mind-blowing. 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