Court sides with American Airlines in request to end alleged illegal slowdown by unions

A federal court on Friday granted a request from American Airlines to halt to an alleged illegal slowdown by two mechanics unions that the airline said was “devastating” to its operations.

American Airlines, the world’s largest airline by passenger traffic, was granted a temporary restraining order against the unions, ordering workers to stop meddling in operations, according to Reuters.

{mosads}The order came after a lawsuit and preliminary injunction that the airline first filed three weeks ago.

The unions have “dramatically expanded their illegal slowdown activities and are creating an operational crisis causing significant damage to American, the traveling public and American’s employees,” American Airlines said when asking for the restraining order.

The Transport Workers Union of America and the International Association of Machinists were ordered to inform their workers to cease activities like refusing to work overtime and slowing their job performance.

The airline argued that the tactics are being employed to strengthen the unions’ positions in labor talks that have been ongoing since 2015.

The unions, meanwhile, have criticized the airline for trying to outsource maintenance jobs, which American says will help cover increased wages.

Just over 720 flights have been cancelled since the lawsuit was filed, with 11,000 passengers per day being impacted since June 7, according to the airline.