Southwest Airlines, pilot negotiators have ‘agreement in principle’ in contract talks

[swamt]

Just FYI. Now that AMFA has now moved in the same union hall as our Pilots and AMFA and SWAPA are now working together in a much more unified relationship I am sure you will see more articles being posted together.  I know the company does not like it, but the Pilots and Mechanics sure do.  A well informed and unified labor group as a whole is a fantastic relationship.  
I mis-posted this in the mechanics thread, meant to post here:
 
 


Southwest Pilots Seek Top Industry Pay With 7-Year Gain of 33%

 
 

 

[Dane Bramage]

Our pilot group tangibly supports every other SWA labor group in getting the best contract possible.  Even moreso considering the unprecedented financial success of the Corporation and the massive amount of money that is being taken our of the corporation in the form of stock buybacks, executive raises and bonuses, increased stock dividends, and horribly bad fuel hedging.  It has been disappointing to watch a few labor groups settle for FAR less than they should have accepted and agree to outsourcing their jobs.  Not my place to tell anyone else what to accept, only to support them in getting as much as they are able to negotiate.  I do wish we could coordinate more with other labor unions to show a united front of discontent.  I would have been proud to be flanked on the LAS picket line by my mechanic, ramper, provo, and ops agent bro's...and every other unionized group.  Maybe we can do that in Chicago next month.
 
SWA pilots are only competing against the other three major airline pilot groups.  We are only asking for a contract equal to what a 737 pilot has at Delta, United and American.  We have reached the pinnacle of our profession, and it took a very long time to get here.  We now have strong union leadership that is not in bed with the company's management like in both the recent and distant past.  The pilot group has awakened to find the "culture" of Southwest gone forever with respect to an honestly concerned company leadership.  Corporate leadership now cares about only ONE thing: enriching Wall Street and themselves.

 

[swamt]

Our pilot group tangibly supports every other SWA labor group in getting the best contract possible.  Even moreso considering the unprecedented financial success of the Corporation and the massive amount of money that is being taken our of the corporation in the form of stock buybacks, executive raises and bonuses, increased stock dividends, and horribly bad fuel hedging.  It has been disappointing to watch a few labor groups settle for FAR less than they should have accepted and agree to outsourcing their jobs.  Not my place to tell anyone else what to accept, only to support them in getting as much as they are able to negotiate.  I do wish we could coordinate more with other labor unions to show a united front of discontent.  I would have been proud to be flanked on the LAS picket line by my mechanic, ramper, provo, and ops agent bro's...and every other unionized group.  Maybe we can do that in Chicago next month.
 
SWA pilots are only competing against the other three major airline pilot groups.  We are only asking for a contract equal to what a 737 pilot has at Delta, United and American.  We have reached the pinnacle of our profession, and it took a very long time to get here.  We now have strong union leadership that is not in bed with the company's management like in both the recent and distant past.  The pilot group has awakened to find the "culture" of Southwest gone forever with respect to an honestly concerned company leadership.  Corporate leadership now cares about only ONE thing: enriching Wall Street and themselves.

I would be proud and very willing to help support our Pilots at the annual meeting.  AMFA needs to get in touch with our SWAPA group and get something going. I too think a rather large group turn out by all union groups at this annual meeting should be there.

 

[swamt]

At almost 1 year exactly from the last AIP being voted down by our pilots, they have another AIP coming to the BOD for a vote rather to pass onto the members for a vote.  We await the details, but I have heard they are getting full retro, pay increases, retirement increases, and other increases. Also was told the co. is looking at getting some international code sharing agreements from the pilots.  Hope it's what the pilots want. Now, where's our great offer from the co. for our negotiations team to vote to bring it to National for a vote to get it to the membership, C'mon SWA get in gear and let's get all the groups settled...
 
Southwest Airlines reaches tentative contract deal with pilots 

 

[Birdman]

In regard to pay it does seem quite generous considering it includes past profit sharing and 401k matches. One does have to wonder though if the 3/4/4 for 2013/14/15 is a true cumulative retro, which would be icing on the cake.  I have my doubts since the company calls it a "ratification bonus".  We will soon see. 

 

[swamt]

Kinda curious how our last sessions went as it does seem like the co. is wanting to get the contracts done now.  One of my main concerns is what the maint. side looks like in the next 5-10 years with the scope language they are wanting.  To this day the co. has not givin a full blown picture of the maint side in the future after Max is here and with the new Epic program in place. Until they show this I don't foresee an agreement.  On a side note, I honestly think the co. is gonna have to offer the same percentages to us as they did the pilots before the nc brings anything out.  Also would need more protection language surrounding the wants by the co. about scope and future maint.  Birdman, have you heard anything about our last sessions? Anything at all yet?  I do believe the co. is finally getting that the membership will be bought off for the language. In the past the co. has been so use to the membership jumping on the money, but this time around we are completely unified about how important the language really is over the pay.  If they would bump the current offer, and AMFA get some language to protect jobs currently, and AMFA get the "full" picture of our future maint. then our nc might be willing to send it to National NEC for approval to be sent out as a TA to the membership.  AMFA needs to do what the pilots did and get the protection language needed, bump the current offer, and then maybe we will have something to vote on.  I am also wondering if the co. is trying to get something out prior to the Sep. 23rd date. The really does need to work on the RB to equal what we would get as retro just like the pilots did, otherwise it will get voted down in my opinion...

 

[Birdman]

Not even rumors are floating about the last session. The info we have is the pilots hammered this agreement over the weekend so I doubt our last weeks session would reflect any parity on economics. As to language protections it's in the company's interest to keep it as vague as  possible to give them latitude in the event they don't have a clue what they want in the future, which may be the case. They can't even stay ahead of employee parking lot capacity, how could they possibly project maintenance needs 5-10 years in the future.   

 

[swamt]

Where has this guy been?  We started becoming a regular airline when Herb and Coleen left.  Ever so slowly turning into one of the others.  I am happy for the Pilots.  We need to do the same, stick to our guns on the outsourcing and scope language, period.  Now with the support we get from all the other groups will enable us to do so.  In this article it states that the pilots will get about 30% increase in raises.  Although the offer looks very rich it is not when you factor in all years and the fact that the pilots as well as us have been waiting for over 4 years to see any kind of raises.  The 27% divided by the over 41/2 years the pilots have been patiently waiting, and the 4 years length of a contract equals about 9 years, so in reality it comes to a very typical and as usual 3% average raises for each year. Which is pretty much the norm.  Yea they are being offered bumps in retirement and other areas but this will only bring them up to industry standard with the other airlines. SWA can afford this as we have way less headcount per A/C than all the legacies.  SWA may have higher wages but still will have a lower over all cost on labor than the other 3 have.  
If you look at our last offer of raises and do the true math on it, it is lower than the pilots average per year.  14% DOS, 12% total for 4 remaining years is 26% divided by the 9 years is 2.8% average each year.  This is less what we have been offered in the past during slow and even bad, bad times in aviation. With the record upon record profits they can afford to do better than the norm especially when they are asking for language to help them save even more money.  These are not super rich contracts SWA is offering, they more of the "norm" or "regular" offers as in the past, and ours is even below the average normally offered in the past.  For us that is not going to cut it, plain and simple.  Her's the article:
 
 


Southwest Pilots' Huge New Deal Will Force Maverick Southwest Airlines To Operate Conventionally

 

[swamt]

I guess the Pilots will not re-open their AIP over wages after all. Not sure if it's worth a .5% difference anyway. According to the article below the Pilots lead nego is still going to vote for it.


Southwest, Pilots Won't Reopen Pending Contract After Delta Deal

 

[swamt]

Looks like we will be the last group left to come to terms on a new contract at SWA. According to this article and several Pilots I have spoken with, "Soon thereafter, the pilots union had a new tentative agreement in hand. The results of a vote on that tentative agreement will be known next Monday, Nov. 7. There are strong indications now that it will be ratified, as was a new contract with Southwest flight attendants on Monday." Guess we will find out Mon. Here's the full article:

Southwest Airlines pilots re-elect Mr. Tough Guy to lead union - Chicago Business Journal

 

[Birdman]

Wow, company really screwed up by satisfying this many pilots.

The Pilots vote was 84.26 % for and 15.74% against. It passes.
96.3% of the Pilots membership voted.

 

[swamt]

Now we are the last group left. Congrats to the pilots for getting a new contract. We will not see one until late next year if at all. Here comes the co's statement of, sorry guys, we are out of money so your past offers will have to be re-nego. and adjusted accordingly.
Great turn out for the pilots I hope we get the same kind of turn out if and when it comes.