Airline Coalition Sues Washington State

A group of airlines is suing Washington state over a new sick leave law that could increase costs and flight delays for travelers.

Airlines for America, includes Alaska, JetBlue, United and Southwest and others, according to the Associated Press.

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The group filed its lawsuit in response to Washington’s voter-approved Paid Sick Leave Act, which took effect January 1. The new measure requires employers to provide at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked. It also governs how workers can use their leave.

The Washington D.C.-based coalition contends that such local measures are blocked by federal regulation of air travel and interstate commerce.

“Airlines cannot operate their nationwide systems properly if flight crews are subject to the employment laws of every state in which they are based, live, or pass through,” Airlines for America said in an emailed statement.

According to the coalition, numerous other states and 30 cities have paid sick leave laws.

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The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, seeks a ruling that federal regulation of air travel precludes Washington’s sick leave law from applying to the airlines’ pilots or flight crews.

The airlines take issue with various provisions in the new Washington law. For instance, by restricting when employers can require medical documentation for sick leave, it will be harder for airlines to control fraud and abuse of sick time.

The result, the airlines contend, will be more employees calling in sick, leading to more flights being canceled or delayed because there aren’t enough crew members.