WN Mechanics seek mediation

Ok. Thx for the update. Did not know you guys were getting another increase this Oct. So all in for you guys is 54.77. Very nice. You guys are now over 10 bucks on us at SWA, congrats...
 
Next week we get back to the table for contract nego's. Not expecting much at all from the company. It is still VERY obvious that the co. does not want to come to an agreement for a new contract. They are currently trying to go around our nego cmte and throw out videos and walk around trying to drum up some support from the membership to apply pressure to our nego cmte to bring something out. You know what Southwest, our nego cmte is the memberships voice, that's why they are there and they nego for all of us, quit trying to go around them it won't work. We are tired of the SWA propaganda. Quit with the you tube videos, swalife updates, memos to members homes, letters "only" meant for Directors and above--yea right, whatever, and quit asking the members on the floor what it will take to get a contract. Our nego cmte has told you you over, and over, and over again what it will take to allow our nego cmte to bring out anything for the members to look at. Now, give us the respect we deserve, as you do the Pilots, and nego in good faith. BTW: When the membership is complaining to the company about getting a new contract done, it's because of the stall tactics by the co. NOT the nego cmte. It took the co. 4.25 years to get the "Future Maint. Outlook" information to the nego cmte, Now who's been stallin???
 
The update below came out yesterday about mid afternoon. Not sure if this update included Tue. nego meeting as the updates usually come after the full 3 days of nego's. With that said, it is just plain sad that we still have 14 items left open to still nego on after 4.3 years of nego's. And, we are just now getting the future maint outlook at SWA after over 4 years of asking for it. Still have today and tomorrow for nego's, so I am assuming this new "fact sheet" is just info being put out on what is still open and has nothing to do with an update concerning Tue.

AMFA - SWA Technician Negotiations Fact Sheet #1
November 1, 2016 -- The AMFA Negotiating Committee will begin issuing Fact Sheets pertaining to the AMFA-SWA Aircraft Maintenance Technician (AMT) Contract Negotiations. We will start this Fact Sheet series by listing the articles and items that remain to be resolved...
Read More...
 
Local 2727 SDF Leaders
We ain't any closer than 3 mos ago on nego...
Good to hear from you again nightmare.
We are right where we were 3 months ago as well.
Some guys were thinking the co. would finally get something out to the members before end of the year but that is not going to happen.
I have now totally givin up on my co. It is no longer the co. it once was in the Herb and Colleen days. I hate going in to work now. It will never come back. I look for reasons not to go to work and this is sad.
 
Yeah.....I still fly WN a lot, and I can tell it's not the same culture/Co it once was. Not even close. Just another big airline-with a great route structure and business model.

WN has gotten A LOT of mileage out of their business model.
 
Here's a look at just how it looks how future nego's are gonna look like. A new survey will be out soon as to where the members want to go next. Some may ask will there be a strike vote? Not sure as of yet, but I do know the NC wants to know the exact route the membership wants to take next. I believe the survey will be more about does the membership want language protection over the $$$'s. I can already tell you the majority wants the language protection for the future. No amount of $$$ is worth no protection of work. Here's the latest update:


AMT Contract Negotiations Update (November 4)
Read the latest update here.
 
I predict that the pilots will vote their contract in and we will be the last group left without a contract and this will last for most of 2017 for the 5 year pay freeze promised by our ceo...
 
I predict that the pilots will vote their contract in and we will be the last group left without a contract and this will last for most of 2017 for the 5 year pay freeze promised by our ceo...

As the saying goes... the company is saving the bestest to the lastest...
 
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This is EXACTLY why you guys need to hold out for no less than full retro pay. The company is dragging this out for far too long. I've been through this too. The companies use the RLA provisions to drag out a contract forever and then offer a "signing bonus" and usually the membership is so tired of living with no pay raises that they jump at the money. The company knows this. I know its easy for me to say but these companies need to pay a penalty for dragging out these contracts.
 
Even if we do get full retro, the co. will not call it as such. As with the pilots, the co. will call it a "signing bonus". I really don't care what they call it as long as it does add up to and match what full retro would be and nothing less. This is the only way to try and stop the co. from dragging out nego's contract after contract in the future. The co. has claimed in the past that the mechanics are not strong enough to hold out for full retro and they are dead wrong. The unity this time around is huge and strong. Their signing bonus needs to increase in order to reflect what retro would be or they will get a no vote, just like the pilots did on their first offer that was voted down. The co. stated that the mechanics need to trust the co. as far as the outsourcing goes. No way in hell can we do that anymore. Yes back in the days we could, but with this new regime in charge now they cannot be trusted at all. I mean look at how hard we had to fight for the 4th line of maint that was agreed to, at the table, once we hit that majical number of aircraft. Back in the days we would have been able to trust that the co. would follow thru as promised. Now days they constantly take back and fight thru arbitration to not follow thru with what they promised. And the co. recently told our NC that we have to trust our co.----Yea right, not any longer. Actions speak louder than words...
 
What an absurd notion that we should just "trust" they will do the right thing. Even to make such a comment shows the contempt and total disrespect they have for our negotiators. There's no logical reason to make these kinds of comments without ulterior motives. I'm losing total faith in this type of mediated process that imposes no penalty on the party that refuses to negotiate in good faith in an unwaivering an arrogant manner. These long contentious negotiations will not only continue to distract, annoy, and frustrate mechanics but also their direct supervision.
 
Fed mediators are in bed with all these company negotiators 2 against one and we see what happens for ua and wn mechanics.