***SWA Hiring Update***

[swamt]

Gentlemen,

A couple of things have took place this week.
SWA has posted 20 mechanic positions for Dallas. (This is an internal bid, not new hire positions)

The company has also dedicated to double the hiring numbers from 5 per month to 10 per month for the remainder of this year. For Oct., Nov., and Dec. they will be bringing in 10 new hires per month instead of the 5 they were doing.

With the 20 internal postings for Dallas and the new monthly commitment, you guys need to watch southwest.com several times daily until you see the external openings then pounce. Good luck to all of you. If I see the postings go up online I will try to post ASAP...

 

[Bob Owens]

So not only did WN absorb all the Airtran mechs but they also hired guys off the street? Percentage wise how much has the mechanic headcount increased since the acquisition of Airtran? How many jobs have been eliminated due to outssourcing since you have been at WN?

BTW thanks for the heads up. Any word on ISP?

 

[Birdman]

I didn't make the cut this week after an interview for a job in structures. Will I be allowed to apply for other openings?

 

[swamt]

So not only did WN absorb all the Airtran mechs but they also hired guys off the street? Percentage wise how much has the mechanic headcount increased since the acquisition of Airtran? How many jobs have been eliminated due to outssourcing since you have been at WN?

BTW thanks for the heads up. Any word on ISP?

Bob, Nothing on ISP as of now.
Yes after AT purchase we are still hiring off the street. The current hiring is not due to the AT buy-out. The current hiring (which will continue thru July 2013) is for the added 4th line of maint. that AMFA nego to bring into Dallas. However, with that said, we are also hearing that SWA will have to hire even more beyond the 4th line, and yes this will be a combination of the AT buy-out and when the W/A goes away in 2014. The numbers we are hearing is hundreds over all.

Headcount has increased 120 since announcement of AT purchase. And 112 since aquisition date, so far, and still growing. You can expect 30 more until the end of this year, and aprox 5 per month thru July 2013. So add aprox 65 to these totals. We did increase by aprox 350 from AT mechs becoming SWA mechs. Total headcount added as a percentile is around 10-15% not counting the AT guys. If we were to count them it would be around 30-35% headcount increase from the AT aquisition.

To answer your last question; "0" jobs have been eliminated due to outsourcing. SWA has never had a lay-off for mechs in it's 40 plus years. Hope this is what you were asking for Bob...

 

[swamt]

I didn't make the cut this week after an interview for a job in structures. Will I be allowed to apply for other openings?

Sorry to hear that Birdman. Yes, you can still apply for other positions. Any idea why you didn't make the interview?? Keep your head up brother and apply again and be persistant. I wish you the best of luck!!

 

[Birdman]

Any idea why you didn't make the interview??

I didn't have one of those "dazzle with brilliance" moments maybe due to being a little nervous but thought I had solid credentials including a short time as a structures tech c/c (bumped on a RIF). Everyone that knows me was shocked.

 

[Bob Owens]

Bob, Nothing on ISP as of now.
Yes after AT purchase we are still hiring off the street. The current hiring is not due to the AT buy-out. The current hiring (which will continue thru July 2013) is for the added 4th line of maint. that AMFA nego to bring into Dallas. However, with that said, we are also hearing that SWA will have to hire even more beyond the 4th line, and yes this will be a combination of the AT buy-out and when the W/A goes away in 2014. The numbers we are hearing is hundreds over all.

Headcount has increased 120 since announcement of AT purchase. And 112 since aquisition date, so far, and still growing. You can expect 30 more until the end of this year, and aprox 5 per month thru July 2013. So add aprox 65 to these totals. We did increase by aprox 350 from AT mechs becoming SWA mechs. Total headcount added as a percentile is around 10-15% not counting the AT guys. If we were to count them it would be around 30-35% headcount increase from the AT aquisition.

To answer your last question; "0" jobs have been eliminated due to outsourcing. SWA has never had a lay-off for mechs in it's 40 plus years. Hope this is what you were asking for Bob...

Yes I think so, let's make sure I have this right;
-WN has never cut heads so they could outsource work
-WN has never laid off any mechanics period
-WN has increased headcount over the years and employs more mechanics than ever before despite the trend everywhere else, including AA, to reduce mechanic headcount
-WN has maintained wages and benfits through out, you guys never had to give back wages, Holidays, Vacation, Sick Time or IOD. You have the best 401K match in the Industry
-WN wages currently lead the rest of the passenger airline industry by a wide margin
-WN mechanics remain the most productive in the industry in return for the way they are treated. because they have treated you fairly you have helped them remain profitable for 40 consecutive years.
Do I have it right?

 

[1AA]

Yes I think so, let's make sure I have this right;
-WN has never cut heads so they could outsource work
-WN has never laid off any mechanics period
-WN has increased headcount over the years and employs more mechanics than ever before despite the trend everywhere else, including AA, to reduce mechanic headcount
-WN has maintained wages and benfits through out, you guys never had to give back wages, Holidays, Vacation, Sick Time or IOD. You have the best 401K match in the Industry
-WN wages currently lead the rest of the passenger airline industry by a wide margin
-WN mechanics remain the most productive in the industry in return for the way they are treated. because they have treated you fairly you have helped them remain profitable for 40 consecutive years.
Do I have it right?

You forgot one important one Bob.

The AMT's are NOT represented by the TWU.

 

[swamt]

Yes I think so, let's make sure I have this right;
-WN has never cut heads so they could outsource work
-WN has never laid off any mechanics period
-WN has increased headcount over the years and employs more mechanics than ever before despite the trend everywhere else, including AA, to reduce mechanic headcount
-WN has maintained wages and benfits through out, you guys never had to give back wages, Holidays, Vacation, Sick Time or IOD. You have the best 401K match in the Industry
-WN wages currently lead the rest of the passenger airline industry by a wide margin
-WN mechanics remain the most productive in the industry in return for the way they are treated. because they have treated you fairly you have helped them remain profitable for 40 consecutive years.
Do I have it right?

Everything you listed above is true. Yes, you have it right/correct. Not sure where your going with this, should I even ask??

 

[Realityck]

You forgot one important one Bob.

The AMT's are NOT represented by the TWU.

You forgot another important one Bob:

That applies to all work groups on SWA property, including all three groups represented by the TWU. It was also true for the 30 years prior to AMFA's showing up on the property.

 

[swamt]

You forgot another important one Bob:

That applies to all work groups on SWA property, including all three groups represented by the TWU. It was also true for the 30 years prior to AMFA's showing up on the property.

Still doesn't change the fact that the mechanic group is the one and only group being hired right now. I know what you are trying to imply, but the current hiring, 3-12 thru 7-13 will be diectly related to contract language nego in by AMFA after the teamsters left us wide open for international outsourcing WITHOUT any limitations, none, notta ZILCH!! SWA/AMFA's nego team was smart enought to get limitations as well as an opertunity to, yet again, bring more maint in house. If it wasn't for AMFA's nego language there would currently be 8-12 lines of maint in Elsolvador, and nothing would have been added to the Dallas maint lines. Matter fact with the teamsters language SWA could of moved more of the maint from here to Elsolvador.
AMFA is also the main pusher behind the push for the much more stringent oversight of not only international but local outsourcing as well.
As far as hiring at SWA, there has been a hiring freeze for all groups except for the mechanics, due to the 4th line coming to Dallas next year in July, as well as future hiring for when the W/A goes away and international growth begins to flurish next year and beyond. And lets not forget about Denver maint at the end of 2012 or early 2013 will be growing up to 30 plus mechs for maint up there.
Now, please tell us all; when was the last time the TWU or the teamsters ever were able to generate a hiring pool due directly to contract nego language at Southwest Airlines?? Answer; They have not... Nice try, I'll give you an "E" for effort though.

 

[Bob Owens]

You forgot another important one Bob:

That applies to all work groups on SWA property, including all three groups represented by the TWU. It was also true for the 30 years prior to AMFA's showing up on the property.

You're right! The TWU has done a good job for those work groups, in fact werent many of the other TWU groups at AA right behind SWA at Number 2 in the industry while the Mechanics were at the bottom? Why are mechanics treated so differently than other groups by the TWU? When you see things likes this it begs the question; Does the TWU have something against A&P mechanics? Why does the TWU situate other groups well within their peer groups but put mechanics so far beow everyone else?

Faulty structure that deprives working A&P mechanics any real say in the process is the answer.

 

[Bob Owens]

Still doesn't change the fact that the mechanic group is the one and only group being hired right now.

Doesnt change the fact that the mechanic group is the one and only group at AA that went into BK wAAy below the rest of the industry, at the bottom, and gave up at least 17% more.

 

[Realityck]

Doesnt change the fact that the mechanic group is the one and only group at AA that went into BK wAAy below the rest of the industry, at the bottom, and gave up at least 17% more.

Still doesn't change the fact that you and your other vote NO camp followers succeeding in rejecting the 2010 T/A and keeping the AA AMT's below where they should be. Or did you forget the role you played with your forecasting future events that never happened?

 

[odie01]

Still doesn't change the fact that you and your other vote NO camp followers succeeding in rejecting the 2010 T/A and keeping the AA AMT's below where they should be. Or did you forget the role you played with your forecasting future events that never happened?

Southwest stealing our experienced mechanics almost weekly, hopefully we will be the same union soon!