(CNN) — The union representing Southwest Airlines pilots is taking early steps toward a possible strike, citing the airline's Christmas travel meltdown among the concerns.

"Three years in the negotiating room, very little progress, a Christmas meltdown that has just defined what all of our problems are have led us to this decision," Casey Murray, a Southwest captain and president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, said.

The union leadership is calling for a strike authorization vote, an early step towards a possible strike. It said the vote could begin in May, a timeline that would "give our customers time to book elsewhere so that they may have confidence in their summer vacations, honeymoons, and family outings."

The union's vice president, Michael Santoro, called it "a tool to wake up management."

The union also said it is asking Southwest for "gratitude pay to compensate our Pilots who suffered through the meltdown."

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