DALLAS- Southwest Airlines (WN) operates a large U.S. domestic network, while Transport Workers Union Local 556 represents Southwest flight attendants. The case involving former flight attendant Charlene Carter has created substantial legal costs for the union.
A September 29, 2026 federal court filing records an agreement requiring Southwest and TWU Local 556 to pay $2.13 million in attorney fees and costs.
Southwest Attendant Union Faces $1.5 Million Cost
The legal dispute involving Charlene Carter dates back to her employment with Southwest Airlines and her conflict with union leadership. Carter had resigned her union membership in 2013 but continued paying fees for union representation.
Carter opposed union leadership and criticized the union’s political activities. Her religious opposition to abortion also shaped her criticism of the union, including private messages she sent to then-union president Audrey Stone.
The union reported Carter’s conduct to Southwest, and the airline terminated her employment. Carter subsequently challenged the termination in federal court, View from the Wing reported.
Federal Court Judgment and Legal Fees
A jury found in Carter’s favor in 2022. The original verdict totaled about $5.1 million, but federal limits reduced the amount that could ultimately be collected.
Carter eventually received $946,102.87 from Southwest and TWU Local 556, including back pay and interest. She also regained her job.
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals later affirmed the judgment against the union on the claims at issue, including religious discrimination and breach of the union’s duty of fair representation.
The appellate ruling addressed the union’s role in the events leading to Carter’s termination. Federal labor law prohibits a union from causing or attempting to cause an employer to discriminate against an employee.
New $2.13 Million Fee Agreement
A September 29 federal court filing shows Southwest and TWU Local 556 jointly agreed to pay $2,132,853.44 in Carter’s attorney fees and costs.
The payment is divided equally:
- Southwest Airlines: $1,066,426.72
- TWU Local 556: $1,066,426.72
- Total attorney fees and costs: $2,132,853.44
The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation represented Carter and will receive the agreed fees and costs.
The agreement was submitted jointly by Carter, Southwest and TWU Local 556 for entry into a Second Amended Final Judgment.
What the Judgment Means for TWU Local 556 Members
TWU Local 556 previously paid approximately $473,051.43 toward Carter’s judgment. The new agreement adds another $1,066,426.72 for attorney fees and costs.
That puts the union’s identified payments at approximately $1.54 million, before accounting for the union’s own legal expenses.
| TWU Local 556 cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| Earlier payment toward Carter’s judgment | $473,051.43 |
| Attorney fees and costs | $1,066,426.72 |
| Combined identified cost | $1,539,478.15 |
U.S. Department of Labor-related membership data cited in the source lists 21,598 Local 556 members for 2025. Dividing the identified $1.54 million cost across that membership produces approximately $71.28 per member.
That calculation does not represent an actual charge assessed individually to members. It is a per-member allocation of the reported case costs.
Union Legal Expenses Add Another Cost
The $1.54 million figure does not include TWU Local 556’s own defense expenses.
The case began in 2017, proceeded to an eight-day trial in 2022, went through an appeal and continued with additional litigation. The union therefore incurred legal expenses beyond the amounts awarded to Carter’s legal representatives.
The source estimates that several thousand hours of legal work at several hundred dollars per hour could produce hundreds of thousands or more than $1 million in additional fees. Those figures are estimates rather than amounts established by the court filing.
Consequently, the final cost to the union could exceed the $1.54 million identified in the judgment and fee agreement.
Union Assessment Proposals and Financial Pressure
The Carter litigation comes amid efforts by TWU Local 556 to increase member assessments.
Flight attendants previously rejected proposed monthly assessments of $11, $8 and $7. A later proposal sought a $5 monthly assessment and required members to vote in person at one of 13 meetings.
The proposed $5 monthly assessment would generate approximately $107,990 per month if all 21,598 members paid it.
At that rate, the union’s $1.54 million in identified Carter-related payments would equal more than 14 months of gross assessment revenue.
The assessment was presented as funding for bargaining rather than specifically reimbursing Carter-related litigation expenses. The two financial matters therefore should not be treated as formally linked without additional evidence from the union.
Questions Over Union Governance and Spending
The dispute has also contributed to broader questions about Local 556’s finances, spending and governance.
The Dallas Morning News reported on flight attendants seeking to replace TWU Local 556 with an independent Southwest Airlines Flight Attendants Association. The report described member concerns involving union spending and transparency, while a union official opposed the effort.
TWU International has also assigned an overseer to Local 556 with authority to examine its finances and potentially bring in a financial monitor.
The Carter judgment and related legal expenses provide one significant category of expenditure for financial review. Other areas identified for examination include bond premiums, insurance arrangements, reimbursement, and the union’s own legal costs.
Financial Impact in Context
The Carter case represents a substantial financial obligation for TWU Local 556 when measured against the union’s reported membership.
The documented $1,539,478.15 in judgment and attorney-fee payments works out to about $71.28 per member using the 2025 membership figure. Adding the union’s own defense costs would increase that figure, although the available source material does not establish the final amount.
The case also illustrates how litigation involving union representation can create costs beyond the original damages awarded to an employee. In this matter, the financial consequences include the judgment paid to Carter and a separate court-approved obligation for her legal fees and costs.
Key Figures
- $946,102.87: Amount Carter previously received from Southwest and the union combined.
- $473,051.43: Approximate share previously paid by TWU Local 556.
- $2,132,853.44: Combined attorney fees and costs agreed by Southwest and Local 556.
- $1,066,426.72: Local 556’s share of the attorney fees and costs.
- $1,539,478.15: Identified combined payments by Local 556 toward Carter’s judgment and legal fees.
- 21,598: Reported Local 556 membership for 2025.
- $71.28: Approximate identified case cost per member before the union’s own legal expenses.
- $5 per month: Amount proposed in the later member assessment.
- $107,990: Approximate monthly revenue from a $5 assessment across 21,598 members.
Stay tuned with us. Further, follow us on social media for the latest updates.
Join us on Telegram Group for the Latest Aviation Updates. Subsequently, follow us on Google News
