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

700UW

700UW

Corn Field
Nov 11, 2003
37,637
19,369
NC
http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/2015/09/southwest-airlines-pilot-negotiators-have-agreement-in-principle-in-contract-talks.html/
 
That didnt take long after they went to mediation:

”
Here is part of SWAPA president Paul Jackson’s message to his members:
 
“As you know, since August we’ve been in mediation with the federal mediation board and the company working towards an agreement in principle. Today, I can say that the negotiating committee has come forward and stated they are in full agreement with the company and have reached an agreement in principle.
 
“What is an agreement in principle? It means that all open items that were previously unagreed to have been agreed to and we can take the next step forward to reaching a contract.
 
“Your policy manual requires that the negotiating committee present only complete language and an implementation schedule to your board of directors for consideration. To that end, at present subject matter experts from inside and outside your association are working to review the language that has been agreed to by the negotiating committee to ensure that it matches the intent and the goals set before negotiations.
 
“With this subject matter expert work expected to be completed within the week, I’m calling a special board meeting for Sept. 14. Your board of directors will be coming to Dallas to consider the agreement in principle as presented by the negotiating committee.
“While in Dallas, your SWAPA board of directors has a singular mission: That is to decide whether to forward this agreement in principle to the membership foryour consider.
 
“If the SWAPA board of directors does forward this agreement in principle for ratification, it will involve a 45-day window: A 15-day notification period followed by a 30-day voting window.
 
“Here’s what we ask of you as SWAPA members. Allow your elected SWAPA board of directors to fully review this agreement in principle. What we promise you is that if the board of directors sends this to you for a vote, you will have full and complete information and the time needed to make an informed decision. This we promise you.
 
Click to expand...
 
 
Damn 700, you beat me to the post. Yes we heard this flying at work today.  It does say the nego cmte fully agrees with the co. But, we will all see after the MEC of the pilots union reviews it. Let's not forget the last TA that the nego team sent to the MEC was overwhelmingly voted down to send to the pilots members, we will se if it goes this time.  Rather quick turn of events with the pilots group with just nego's being 1 month in mediation nego's.  Is this a sign that the co. is ready to move on finally with the contracts?  Only time will tell. Good news for the pilots, maybe...
Let's not also forget, last time the pilots nego group came out with a supposed TA, and this time they are only at "agreement in principle".  The MEC will dictate rather or not this gets voted on.   Good luck to the pilots, hoping this is what you all members wanted...
 
I feel this came rather quickly.  An agreement in principle after starting Mediated talks with the company in Aug.  And here it is announced Sept 3rd.  Will we have another massive NO vote as shown by the F/A's?  Pretty sure the pilots neg team would not this to the pilots.  Maybe this will be a sign of the company getting off it's a$$ and start nego in good faith as they have not up to this point and time.   Just to give an update on ours a little; The 2 mediators are meeting with our union and the company this week on the 9th and 10th. Pretty sure they are just getting started and will exchange where each side is and set up future dates to start the nego's process.  What will be interesting is the amount of days that the company will be willing to set.  We have already heard of the lead mediator expressing very harshly and firmly to the company about making the meetings set. Matter fact the lead mediator told SWA lead nego and co attorney after they said they could not make that many meetings comitment, that they need to contact the CEO and tell him to attend or send someone in place of them that will attend.  Meeting set are meetings set with these mediators.  All will attend and make time or it will be held against them.  SWA is already in a negative standing with the mediators and has already seen who has been the agitator of the non-movement forward during nego's.  Could this be "part" of the reasons around a very quick agreement with our pilots?   Could be. As now co has even more free time to nego and go over proposals.  Maybe the F/A's should file for mediation so the company will step up the pace with the mechanics and related.  Mediators has also told SWA to send someone that "WILL" make final decisions.  Still waiting to hear of the details, which shouldn't be too terribly long as AMFA and the SWAPA are now housed in the same union hall location.  SWAPA wanted to get the mechanics closer to them and include the mechanics in alot of their nego's and we will include then in ours as well.  We are not working very, very close with our pilots.  Hopefully soon all groups on SWA property will be working together like this.  It's a great way to stay informed and unified which is scaring the company to death.  This request of groups would include the F'A groups as well.  Don't care what union is representing what group, this IS about the employees not just a union thing, so yes I would even include the TWU to come in with us to this new type of communications between all unionized groups.  By AMFA and SWAPA working together hopfully it will bring in all our groups as one.   Sorry for rambling on but alot to say today...
 
I'm not too sure it has to do with mediation; I think it's more due to the fact that the company wants to get the pilots to sign a deal before the DL pilots can negotiate (and possibly get) better gains. We (mechanics) aren't necessarily in the same boat, as of yet. I have been hearing rumors (unfounded, of course) that UAL might be near a deal that would put them around $50/hr, which then would make to company start to negotiate more seriously. We'll see what happens, and good luck to all of our workgroups. We've got to stick together.
 
Well I hope the rumor is true about UAL guys.  UPS mechanics should have something soon as well, and they are at or near $53 currently with record profits as well, no telling what they might be going to in the new contract they are currently nego.  Maybe this will be the motivator for our group from the company.  The UPS guys should be able to get to or near $58 easily.  Yes Blue, good luck to all our groups in nego's...
 
Rumors on the pilots are building. We are hearing some rumblings of "Retro" discussions. And why hasn't the SWAPA or company put anything out yet since the deadline of the 14th for the pilots MEC Board of directors to vote rather to put it out for a vote from the membership? BIG question here folks.  We await to see why.  Maybe, just maybe, the pilots are in NEGO's to finalize the final details to get something out to the membership. Stay tuned all...
 
swamt said:
Rumors on the pilots are building. We are hearing some rumblings of "Retro" discussions..
Click to expand...
Apparently retro seems to be a very big issue with all union workgroups.
 
Retro is the number one item on the list for the mechanic and related group.  When the contract proposal suggestions was put out to the membership in 2012, the number one, by a major majority is "full retro".   It is one of the only tools that helps keep the companies from dragging out nego's to withhold pay raises from the employees. OR to pay a much lower rate at a % of what full retro would be as a bonus which is taxed at a much higher rate...
 
I've seen the 'highlights', and I've got to say that I'm not impressed - and I'm not even a pilot (to mean that even though I don't know their work rules/rates, it's nothing to be excited about). I can't imagine this thing passing by any means.
 
Blue, can you share the highlights by a PM?  I too have heard of some rumblings, but out of respect to the pilots, I would rather share them only privately for now.  So far (very early on though) we are hearing of a pretty big NO vote should be coming.  Pretty sure we will know all the details after our union meeting this month as we are now moved into our new union offices that are shared with the pilots now. With our newly relationship with the pilots, I will leave up to them to disclose whatever they want to disclose publicly.   PM me if you can, I will understand if you would rather wait...
Forgot to add this where they discuss the code share with JetBlue a little:
 
Southwest Airlines anxiously awaits contract ratification vote by thousands of its pilots
 
Just heard that SWA Pilots voted their contract down with about 62% NO votes and 38 YES votes. Don't have any further info at this time.
 
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