WN Mechanics seek mediation

It appears the company has given up on a TA untill after the new AMFA NEC is installed and will be in no particular hurry to settle. Any unwelcome system wide churn of the mechanics that would have resulted in the company getting their language changes will also be put on hold. That, of course, is conjecture due to most of us not knowing what their language meant. 
 
There is no excuse for the co waiting for the new National Officers taking their positions. NONE of them change the NC enough to warrant that.  Only One person will be changed and he is not that hard to replace.  But, the co will use any excuse they can to continue to drag out these nego's as long as they can...
 
A great showing 4 cities wide yesterday with the mechanics IP. Fantastic support coming in from our Pilots, F/A's, Stores Clerks, and Appearence Techs.  Channel 11 by far had the best coverage of our event. And check out their news feed below that also included a wonderful shot of our brand new Max airplane at the big revealing at SWA headquarters with AMFA's IP billboard sitting right there next to it---PRICELESS!!!    That was a great idea for the truck to go by the unveiling at SWA HDQ's of the new Max bird and Channel 11 CBS local news put in their news feed...
 
Southwest Mechanics Challenge Airline Publically In Contract Dispute
 
 
 
Southwest Airlines mechanics return to picket line at Midway Airport
 
 
Local Airline Mechanics Group Holding Picket Against Southwest Airlines' Talk of Outsourcing Labor
 
Anyone heard anymore on the possible meetings for the first week of Oct.?  I have heard nothing and it seems to be a bit quiet on this issue.  I predict it will not happen, wish it would, but, I don't think the co. is ready to get to a settled contract and it shows big time.
 
I was told the company requested the meeting, of course which will be conducted after the new NEC takes the helm. My feeling is they wish to get a feel for the new leadership even though the core negotiators will be the same.
 
Just another excuse  for the co. to continue to stall.  The co. forgets that the number one item in the contract proposals was 100% full retro which they are offering the pilots.  The other top priority is the outsourcing language and protection.  Until these are met there is no need for the NC to bring anything out for a vote as it would be just a waste of time. If they were smart they would come to terms prior to UPS coming to terms, otherwise, the bar will get reset again.  The longer the co. stalls the more it will cost them in the long run. We'll just keep the current contract as we are and the co. needs the new language for the new aircraft coming in and the new maint. program they WISH to implement in 2017, and now with the MAX getting here sooner rather than later they are gonna need to get to an agreement soon...
 
I've heard UPS mgt say, "with the pilots deal done, I'd be real surprised to see the mechs deal not done going into peak...."
Then the mechs look at them with skepticism, " are we talking about the same company here?"
"When has this company EVER settled with the mechs before 4-5 yrs of negotiations?"

We're also voting on union internal leadership right now too.
 
787nightmare said:
I've heard UPS mgt say, "with the pilots deal done, I'd be real surprised to see the mechs deal not done going into peak...."
Then the mechs look at them with skepticism, " are we talking about the same company here?"
"When has this company EVER settled with the mechs before 4-5 yrs of negotiations?"

We're also voting on union internal leadership right now too.
Is that International, NC, or Local Officers?  Thanks for the update...
 
I've heard that the language the company wants removed will not apply for at least 3 years due to the difference in the maintenance program of the max. So why does the company insist on this scope relief now? Hopefully an update from either side will give a greater explanation.
 
You would have to ask the company on that.
An update would be nice. Still haven't heard if they met this week or not.
3 years? And just think, the co. could have had us for a 4-5 year extension with 3% raises and could have been in nego's now for the new maint program to kick in. Instead they got exactly what they wanted, a 5 year freeze on all wages and this is gonna cost them. It's 100% full retro or it's nothing and this is how the entire membership feels. If we do not stand fully united for full retro, then the co. will continue to do these 5 year nego's every single time.
 
Looks like they did meet this week, but for only one day. More dates set thru first week of Dec. We will be lucky to see something by our 5th year next Aug. This company has completely destroyed the culture of this once great company.
I stand behind our nego team 100%. They nego for me.

AMFA - SWA Technician Negotiations Update #46
October 7, 2016 -- We met with the Company in Dallas, Texas on Monday afternoon, October 3, 2016. This short session was focused on an off-the-record discussion surrounding how our scope language will apply as the Company transitions into the MAX maintenance program.
Read More...
 
This statement below, taken from the AMFA update, tells me we have yet another year to tack onto the 4 years still without a contract;

Regardless of Company propaganda, the parties are not even remotely close to a position that would allow your Committee to consider bringing anything out for a vote of the membership.

Also folks, we have to remember some other very, very important issues that still have to get ironed out. Every single one of the LOA's must be re-negociated or agreed to remain otherwise they die with the last contract. The utmost important LOA's would be LOA # 1 and 2 that covers 4 lines of heavy in Dallas, other lines in many other cities, headcount's in structures, shops and even the ratio count of mechanics to aircraft and there is more. Please guys read your LOA's 1 and 2 2nd paragraph as I quote them here:

"This LOA will remain in place for the duration of the current Southwest Airlines/AMFA Collective Bargaining Agreement (the CBA) and, UNLESS extended or re-negotiated by written agreement of the parties, will terminate upon ratification of any succeeding CBA. Both parties agree to negotiate ANY continuation of the terms of this LOA in good faith through an expedited process."

Pay particular attention to LOA #2 that protects Day Line Relief, Eve Line Relief, Day and Eve Line, Structure inspection, Structures mechanics, Structures Support mechanics, Sheetmetal Shop mechanics, HGR Ron Inspection, and many more.
Read the contract and read all your LOA's guys. If we simply sit back and allow these items to slip by us, it will be detrimental later on down the road. Yea I know this company has never laid off. Does not mean they will not ax all the shops positions and move the affected headcount as they wish and where is going to be needed in the future, which is gonna be Graveyard Line Ron and Graveyard HGR Ron for all the "new" maintenance programs soon to be installed in 2017. It is detrimental that we keep our LOA's in tact and this is also the main reason the company is refusing to allow the LOA's in hard writing into the CBA instead of as LOA's, all due to the one little paragraph I outlined above, they just can't wait for these LOA's to fall by the waste side and then blame the membership for letting it happen, hence why the paragraph is stated as it is. Think about it guys. Send emails, texts, and phone calls to our nego cmte and remind them about these LOA's...
 
Well our Pilots were not able to re-open the wages after the new Delta announcement. Will be interesting to see if they vote it in. Still not sure about the F/A's either. I am hearing the AT's are liking their recent TA being offered from the co. Nothing will happen this month as the gov is in the middle of their budget month. Nego's restart in Nov and Dec and I really hope the co. does not try to bring something out until after the holidays. But of course the co. would just love to try and get something out during the holidays in hopes of a lot of the members being away and getting a low turn out for a vote in their favor. I predict that Nov and Dec nego's will produce nothing as far as moving forward towards an AIP or T/A. I also don't expect anything in the first half of 2017, the co. will be successful at getting their pay freezes for us for the 5 years our CEO said he wanted, sad, so sad. What ever happened to putting the employees first? Oh never mind those leaders left the co., we'll never see that again. With this new regime their priorities have completely turned a 180 degrees...
 

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