A federal judge has ordered strict new penalties on American Airlines mechanics which could include disciplinary measures including fines for workers rejecting overtime.
District Judge John McBryde allowed an updated temporary restraining order by American Airlines forcing two labor unions to take more extreme measures to bring an end to the alleged work go-slow.
The ruling didn’t specify what disciplinary action or fines workers could face.
The airline successfully argued the previous restraining order hadn’t been a sufficient deterrent to combat the slowdown.
American Airlines claimed the union has been organizing a coordinated effort to refuse overtime work and off-site assignments and use it as a bargaining tool in protracted labor negotiations.
They have been deliberately grounding aircraft for unnecessary reasons, the airline said.
"The continuing disruption is causing devastating harm to American and its customers, employees and brand," it said in an earlier court filing.
The labor dispute and other factors has led to a 4% cancelation rate in June, which was 18 times higher than Delta Air Lines.
The International Association of Machinists and Transport Workers Union claim they have done everything within their power to stop the coordinated slowdown.
Together they represent more than 30,000 American Airlines workers.
