Trouble at Southwest Airlines?

[bogey21]

Just food for thought for those of you flying on Southwest Airlines. I keep reading in the Dallas and Fort Worth newspapers about labor unrest at Southwest Airlines. Apparently they have been battling with their Machinist's Union for something approaching a year. This seems to be causing an increase in delays and cancelled flights. Now the story is that the Pilot's Union is throwing their support behind the Machinist's Union...

George

 

[pedro47]

There is another TUG thread that Southwest Airlines have been approved by the FAA finally to fly to Hawaii.

 

[Talent312]

On Topic:
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Southwest Airlines Co’s mechanics, who have been in labor contract talks for more than six years, deserve a new deal that makes them among the best paid in the airline industry, but the low-cost U.S. carrier needs “more supplier flexibility” in return, the company’s chief executive said.

The labor dispute, one of the biggest to hit a top-four U.S. airline in more than a decade, has escalated with Southwest’s daily out-of-service aircraft doubling, forcing the carrier to cancel hundreds of flights since Feb. 15. [Emphasis Added.]

Southwest CEO Gary Kelly in an email to the company’s employees acknowledged the company was “in a period of tension and turmoil” regarding the out-of-service aircraft. Reuters obtained a copy of the email late Friday.

Kelly said the mechanics deserve a new contract and pointed out that the deal the mechanics voted down last year would have made those workers the highest paid in the industry. He said current talks offer the opportunity to offer even higher pay with no impact on job security “in exchange for more supplier flexibility.”

----------------
As with any flight schedule these days: Flexibility may be needed.
.

 

[silentg]

We love Southwest, but found a better deal on Jet Blue. Not a pleasure trip, we had to cancel Surfside Beach because of MIL passed away last night.
RCI was kind enough to refund our fees. We were driving so no plane travel had to be canceled.
Still traveling but for different reason.
Silentg

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

On Topic:
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Southwest Airlines Co’s mechanics, who have been in labor contract talks for more than six years, deserve a new deal that makes them among the best paid in the airline industry, but the low-cost U.S. carrier needs “more supplier flexibility” in return, the company’s chief executive said.
.

I don't see Southwest as a low-cost carrier anymore. They are competitive. And I'm sure they are trying to rein in costs so that they can continue to be competitive.

 

[Sugarcubesea]

We love Southwest, but found a better deal on Jet Blue. Not a pleasure trip, we had to cancel Surfside Beach because of MIL passed away last night.
RCI was kind enough to refund our fees. We were driving so no plane travel had to be canceled.
Still traveling but for different reason.
Silentg

I’m so sorry about your MIL’s passing

 

[WinniWoman]

We love Southwest, but found a better deal on Jet Blue. Not a pleasure trip, we had to cancel Surfside Beach because of MIL passed away last night.
RCI was kind enough to refund our fees. We were driving so no plane travel had to be canceled.
Still traveling but for different reason.
Silentg

So sorry about your MIL.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Southwest sues mechanics union alleging deliberate slowdowns

 

[pedro47]

We have found Jet Blue offer a better deal in price and more direct flights to Fort Lauderdale, FL from Richmond,VA than Southwest. IMO.

Plus, I liked Jet Blue snacks better than Southwest.

 

[taterhed]

Hmmm..
Controversial subject, so I won't go into it.

But, when the pay of company divisions (employee groups etc...) vary wildly....and contracts are ignored or stalled....while the company continues to grow and expand.....
Well, you can imagine the unhappiness that would grow.

Again, not being controversial....just pointing out that until SWA addresses their labor contracts, they will continue to have issues.

 

[bogey21]

This is getting worse. The Company just sued its Machinist's Union. In the old days Southwest was a company where everybody, Management, employees and their customers, was happy go lucky. Now that they are bigger they are just like the rest of them...

George

 

[Talent312]

Letter by AMFA (the union) attorney to SWA:
... [T]he Company appears to continue to attempt to hide a degraded maintenance safety culture behind contract negotiations with AMFA. This is deplorable and represents a real danger to your employees and your passengers. As you are aware, Southwest Airlines declared a self-styled “Operational Emergency” just eleven (11) days after a nationally-televised CBS News report, which detailed the efforts of Southwest aircraft maintenance technicians to resist coercive pressure to ignore aircraft damage.

The CBS report exposed a problem so severe that two U.S. Senators called for a congressional investigation. Moreover, The FAA has condemned the carrier’s “capitulation of airworthiness.” Yet, it appears that, once again, management has chosen to increase its coercive efforts against its own Aircraft Maintenance Technicians – whose job it is to ensure safe flights – this time with increased threats of litigation and job termination.

Let us be clear. AMFA members at Southwest Airlines are doing their jobs in accordance with the requirements of their FAA-issued A&P licenses. Southwest Airlines should be thanking these men and women for their dedication to safety; instead, it hurls unfounded accusations. AMFA rejects any assertions that it or its members have acted in violation of law or collectively to disrupt Company operations or undertake any job actions. Southwest Airlines has provided no evidence to AMFA in support of its baseless job action allegations.

The Pilots' Statement:
February 25, 2019 — Today, Captain Jon Weaks, president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, issued a communication on the self-described “State of Operational Emergency” declared by the airline. In his communication, Captain Weaks reaffirmed the safety of the airline, the confidence the pilot union has in AMFA mechanics to keep our aircraft in airworthy condition, and the joint commitment by SWAPA Pilots and AMFA mechanics to always protect the passengers...

... and so it goes ...

 

[lockewong]

We love Southwest, but found a better deal on Jet Blue. Not a pleasure trip, we had to cancel Surfside Beach because of MIL passed away last night.
RCI was kind enough to refund our fees. We were driving so no plane travel had to be canceled.
Still traveling but for different reason.
Silentg

Sorry about the los of your MIL.

 

[taterhed]

SWA and AMFA have been in negotiations for a very long time (contracts amendable in 2012 for technicians).

AMT's at Southwest have been without a contract for over 6 years. During that time, all wages and benefits have been frozen at current contract levels--during times of record breaking profit by SWA. Much of the information below comes from open-source press releases from AMFA. Other facts are summarized from independent and company news releases.

On February 3, 2017, during negotiations, Southwest Airlines sent a letter to its Aircraft Maintenance Technicians (AMTs) informing them that the company would be “discontinuing heavy maintenance at Aeroman by early summer.” Aeroman is a facility in El Salvador, which the company had used for nearly a decade to service planes -- at a reduced cost. The company made clear its intention and had previously agreed to “sunset” a provision in the contract with AMFA, the union representing its AMTs, giving Southwest the ability to outsource a limited amount of heavy maintenance internationally, and would be moving this work back to the U.S.

The most recent tentative agreement reached with SWA (July 2018) offered 14.8 percent total pay increase (>3% percent annual, retroactively paid); AMFA was requesting 3% per annum pay increases (retroactive), or about 16.7%. The TA was voted down by AMFA members.

Prior to the TA vote, SWA negotiators warned the union negotiators that 'something bad will happen' if the TA is not approved (unsubstantiated). January 2019, following the defeat of the TA in fall of 2018, Southwest re-introduced language which would allow foreign outsourcing during contract negotiations with AMFA, and indicated that instead of keeping jobs in America, it would be outsourcing internationally once again. (yes, a bit of media spin there)

Currently, SWA does not have an agreement with AMT's for conducting ETOPs certification, operations and maintenance.

Regardless of your political or labor views, this is a sticky situation and is getting worse. Aircraft accidents and incidents, whistleblower incidents and US IG investigations of SWA supervision by the FAA....claims of illegal labor actions...and counter-claims of an unsafe maintenance culture at SWA are all on the table.

Indeed, this is not the Southwest Airlines of the 'good old days.'

I sincerely hope for a swift agreement, a healthier SAFETY culture at SWA and years of safe and profitable operations.

I should note in closing: I vehemently disagree with outsourcing safety-critical, routine aircraft maintenance to 'low bidder' operations in the USA or Mexico or El Salvador etc....

Thanks for listening to my rant.

 

[bogey21]

Indeed, this is not the Southwest Airlines of the 'good old days.'

I started flying Southwest when it was a 3 city Texas operation and stuck with them for many years. I gave up air travel 6 or 7 years ago but if I were still flying, it would not be on Southwest...

George

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

I remember when Southwest started up, and the business plan was to clone what Pacific Southwest Airlines was doing in California. People so often think of Southwest as an innovator.

Wrong. Everything that Southwest did in those days was done first by PSA.

 

[taterhed]

Yeah, they didn't invent the model...they just made it work...and work...and work.

Many people have theorized that SWA's downfall would be from over-expansion and abandoning what they do well.

Of course, I always said I had no interest in flying to Hawaii on a Guppy. But now, that's almost the only way to get there!!!!!!

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Many people have theorized that SWA's downfall would be from over-expansion and abandoning what they do well./QUOTE]
Also, in the early days their flight crews were younger, and hence their labor costs were less. With time and seniority, those salaries have increased with seniority.

 

["Roger"]

I remember when Southwest started up, and the business plan was to clone what Pacific Southwest Airlines was doing in California. People so often think of Southwest as an innovator.

Wrong. Everything that Southwest did in those days was done first by PSA.

Ah, you jogged my memory. I don't buy individual stocks anymore, but, when I did, one of the winners I bought (don't ask about the losers) was Pacific Southwest Airlines. I was really sad when they got bought out.