HowardBorden
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On the eve of the Southwest Airlines annual meeting, the Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association announced Tuesday it was activating its strike preparedness committee.
It doesn't mean there's a strike imminent, particularly with the National Mediation Board appearing to be extremely reluctant to allow strikes at any airline. But it means the pilots are taking the necessary steps to be ready to strike if it gets to that point.
'While a strike is certainly not in either side's best interest, the Railway Labor Act clearly defines the procedure for protracted negotiations which can lead to a lock out by management or a suspension of service by our pilots, SWAPA president Paul Jackson said Tuesday.
"SWAPA is doing our due diligence to prepare our pilots and passengers for the next steps in this federal mediation process should we not be able to reach a deal. We have been in negotiations for more than three years and are seeking a market rate contract for pilots that is in line, economically, with our peers at other major airlines," he said.
The two sides have been in mediated talks overseen by the National Mediation Board since November. Under the Railway Labor Act, neither side can engage in "self help" like strikes or lockouts until after NMB has decided that the talks are at an impasse.
At that point, the board would proffer binding arbitration to both sides. If either side rejected arbitration, the NMB would start a 30-day cooling-off period, at the end of which either side could act with self help.
The NMB appears to have put talks between the airline and TWU Local 555, the ramp works, "on ice," meaning that no further talks would be scheduled because negotiations had quit making progress. But it has not declared an impasse.
Keep reading for the SWAPA press release.
Southwest Pilots Union Begins Strike Preparedness
DALLAS The Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association (SWAPA) today announced staffing and funding for a Strike Preparedness Committee. The committee will work closely with professional outside consultants, staff, other committees and resources of the union to prepare the pilots of Southwest and the flying public for all contingencies available under the Railway Labor Act (RLA) if SWAPA and Southwest Airlines cannot come to an agreement on a new contract in the coming months. The pilots and company have been engaged in federally-mediated talks through the National Mediation Board (NMB) since November in hopes of closing out remaining open items including pay, retirement, scheduling, and job scope.
"While a strike is certainly not in either side's best interest, the Railway Labor Act clearly defines the procedure for protracted negotiations which can lead to a lock out by management or a suspension of service by our pilots. SWAPA is doing our due diligence to prepare our pilots and passengers for the next steps in this federal mediation process should we not be able to reach a deal" said SWAPA President Capt. Paul Jackson. "We have been in negotiations for more than three years and are seeking a market rate contract for pilots that is in line, economically, with our peers at other major airlines."
SWAPA's Strike Preparedness Committee is structured to and tasked with educating SWAPA members and the general public on future steps of the negotiating process, formulating contingency plans for potential job action situations, and maintaining relationships with other airline groups who have self-help experience. They will work in conjunction with the Outreach Committee, which will host events nationwide to talk to pilots and their families about the status of negotiations and the preparations needed should negotiations not come to a conclusion and SWAPA is released by the NMB to proceed to self-help.
"Despite astronomical profits and record-setting forecasts for the coming years, Southwest Airlines management has not come forward with an economic offer that can bring both sides to an agreement," continued Jackson. "Our offer is very affordable and would not impact the company's competitive low-cost advantage. It is time for a deal."
Located in Dallas, Texas, the Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association (SWAPA) is a non-profit employee organization representing the more than 8,000 pilots of Southwest Airlines. SWAPA works to provide a secure and rewarding career for Southwest pilots and their families through negotiating contracts, defending contractual rights and actively promoting professionalism and safety. For more information on the Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association, visit www.swapa.org.
http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/...vates-its-strike-preparedness-committee.html/
It doesn't mean there's a strike imminent, particularly with the National Mediation Board appearing to be extremely reluctant to allow strikes at any airline. But it means the pilots are taking the necessary steps to be ready to strike if it gets to that point.
'While a strike is certainly not in either side's best interest, the Railway Labor Act clearly defines the procedure for protracted negotiations which can lead to a lock out by management or a suspension of service by our pilots, SWAPA president Paul Jackson said Tuesday.
"SWAPA is doing our due diligence to prepare our pilots and passengers for the next steps in this federal mediation process should we not be able to reach a deal. We have been in negotiations for more than three years and are seeking a market rate contract for pilots that is in line, economically, with our peers at other major airlines," he said.
The two sides have been in mediated talks overseen by the National Mediation Board since November. Under the Railway Labor Act, neither side can engage in "self help" like strikes or lockouts until after NMB has decided that the talks are at an impasse.
At that point, the board would proffer binding arbitration to both sides. If either side rejected arbitration, the NMB would start a 30-day cooling-off period, at the end of which either side could act with self help.
The NMB appears to have put talks between the airline and TWU Local 555, the ramp works, "on ice," meaning that no further talks would be scheduled because negotiations had quit making progress. But it has not declared an impasse.
Keep reading for the SWAPA press release.
Southwest Pilots Union Begins Strike Preparedness
DALLAS The Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association (SWAPA) today announced staffing and funding for a Strike Preparedness Committee. The committee will work closely with professional outside consultants, staff, other committees and resources of the union to prepare the pilots of Southwest and the flying public for all contingencies available under the Railway Labor Act (RLA) if SWAPA and Southwest Airlines cannot come to an agreement on a new contract in the coming months. The pilots and company have been engaged in federally-mediated talks through the National Mediation Board (NMB) since November in hopes of closing out remaining open items including pay, retirement, scheduling, and job scope.
"While a strike is certainly not in either side's best interest, the Railway Labor Act clearly defines the procedure for protracted negotiations which can lead to a lock out by management or a suspension of service by our pilots. SWAPA is doing our due diligence to prepare our pilots and passengers for the next steps in this federal mediation process should we not be able to reach a deal" said SWAPA President Capt. Paul Jackson. "We have been in negotiations for more than three years and are seeking a market rate contract for pilots that is in line, economically, with our peers at other major airlines."
SWAPA's Strike Preparedness Committee is structured to and tasked with educating SWAPA members and the general public on future steps of the negotiating process, formulating contingency plans for potential job action situations, and maintaining relationships with other airline groups who have self-help experience. They will work in conjunction with the Outreach Committee, which will host events nationwide to talk to pilots and their families about the status of negotiations and the preparations needed should negotiations not come to a conclusion and SWAPA is released by the NMB to proceed to self-help.
"Despite astronomical profits and record-setting forecasts for the coming years, Southwest Airlines management has not come forward with an economic offer that can bring both sides to an agreement," continued Jackson. "Our offer is very affordable and would not impact the company's competitive low-cost advantage. It is time for a deal."
Located in Dallas, Texas, the Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association (SWAPA) is a non-profit employee organization representing the more than 8,000 pilots of Southwest Airlines. SWAPA works to provide a secure and rewarding career for Southwest pilots and their families through negotiating contracts, defending contractual rights and actively promoting professionalism and safety. For more information on the Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association, visit www.swapa.org.
http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/...vates-its-strike-preparedness-committee.html/
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