Southwest, American Airlines' Industry Group Says Sick Leave Bills Won't Imperil LGBT Protections

AUSTIN — A prominent airline industry group says axing city sick leave laws won't have unintended consequences for LGBT protections in Dallas, Fort Worth and elsewhere.Airlines for America, which counts Southwest and American Airlines among its members, has received a legal interpretation that efforts to prohibit cities from regulating private businesses' sick leave and benefits policies won't imperil local nondiscrimination ordinances to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender workers. Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano, Austin and El Paso have passed such ordinances.The industry group solicited the interpretation from Houston-based law firm Bracewell LLP in regards to three bills the Texas Senate will debate Thursday.  Continue reading...