Kurt Heidemann:
Today's SWAPA Number is five. Last week SWAPA Pilots participated in our first ever nationwide picket at five domiciles: Atlanta, Chicago, Baltimore, Houston, and Los Angeles.
Amy Robinson:
On this Labor Day edition of the SWAPA Number, we're going to talk to those pilots who came together to show their support for an industry-leading contract and to demonstrate their unity and resolve.
I'm Amy Robinson.
Kurt Heidemann:
And I'm Kurt Heidemann. And here's Communications Committee member Dan interviews with the pilots who took time out of their day off to come stand with SWAPA.
Dan Mosher:
Bill, what made you decide to come take it on your day off today?
Bill:
Well, I've seen the success in the ones that happened before. I'm a strong supporter of SWAPA, strong support of this union in general, and I always want to do my part and today finally had a day off where I can get out here, and I'm happy to be here.
Amanda:
Well, I come from a line of airlines, and I was a child when my dad had to go on strike with United in 1985. I had to go on strike at Mesaba when I was there for subpar wages, and, honestly, I thought I'll never have to do this again now that I'm at Southwest. And it's actually kind of sad that I'm here picketing, but I know how important it's because I know it's what takes sometimes to get management to pay attention to important issues. And I'm sad that this day has come here at Southwest, but it's what needs to be done.
Stephan:
It's my duty, I think as part of a team member of the Union of SWAPA, to be out here and represent. I didn't get a chance to do it when I was on probation during the last contract talks, so now it's my turn to speak for those that can and hopefully get us a contract that we can be proud of and bring people in.
Craig:
I'm here for all those who can't be here and actually joining all those who are here for a great reason: trying to secure the contract that we deserve. And like Steven said, not just for us but for really generations to come. I'm tired of watching young pilots talk to me on the flight deck about going to other airlines, many of them actually going to other airlines, tired of losing pilots. We want to be a place that people want to come and want to stay here, and I'd like to be a part of securing the contract that'll do that.
Marc:
Just looking to get reasonable pay and benefits compared to the other big three. We fly more, we fly more passengers, and I'd like to be compensated at least or better of what they are.
Dan Mosher:
What are the key elements that you need to see addressed in this contract?
Bill:
Well, like everything, a contract is a collaboration between a union and the company. There are some things: obviously I want the best return on money-wise, good pay rates; I want good scheduling rules; I want good benefits for my family; and I want to be protected on my days off. I've been lucky. I think I've been luckier than others when it comes to junior assignments here, but I'd really like to see that at a minimum. I like my quality of life. Compensation, quality of life I guess are the two key words.
Amanda:
Key elements for me are that we are competitive with other legacy carriers and better, actually, because we want to attract the best aviators and right now it's a pilot's market and they're going to go to where the best contact is. For me personally, short-term, long-term disability are very important. I had a father that went out on disability at United, and he was taken care of through his retirement. And unfortunately here when you go out, they're responsible for a lot of your own insurances, and I just feel like we're not taken care of when we're out on disability. And a lot of pilots end up being out on disability because of the high standard medical we are held to.
Dan Mosher:
And when your dad went out on disability from United, how did that affect you as a family member?
Amanda:
Nothing changed. He kept his insurance, he kept his pay, they treated him like he was still a flying pilot and honestly it didn't affect our quality of life at all. I know personally from being here on disability for only 10 months, I was already losing my insurance and was having to go onto a COBRA plan, and that was just after 10 months. My dad lost his medical at 57 and continued his insurance until they were on Medicare.
Dan Mosher:
So big contrast between-
Amanda:
Huge.
Dan Mosher:
Oh, I see-
Amanda:
And we're talking about in the late nineties at United, so I can't even speak on what their contract is now, but even back then it was better than what we have now.
Dan Mosher:
So it literally would be safe to say that Southwest is decades behind taking care of its pilots?
Amanda:
Definitely. I was shocked when I came here that disability was handled how it is, and I was also shocked that we lose our life insurance if we're no longer flying, which is most likely when we're going to need it the most. And I didn't realize there was any legacy carrier that had that poor of language.
Dan Mosher:
What's important about getting maternity and paternity language in our next contract? What's important about that to you?
Amanda:
I mean I can speak of when I first came to Southwest, we had the lowest percentage of female aviators of any of the legacies. And I'm going to guarantee you one of the main reasons was we had absolutely no modern day maternity language. And when a woman has a choice to go to any airline, that's the one thing they're going to take into consideration just like any other benefit. I was really happy to hear that Southwest had finally taken the female aviators into consideration, and we're serious about maternity leave. And then when it got pulled, it was a slap in the face to all of us and I think we're going to continue to be an airline with a small percentage of female pilots unless we start getting some good maternity language. Also, we need it for the men too because it's important for people to be with their children when they're first born. This career is important, but it's not more important than family. It's not more important than those early formative months.
Dan Mosher:
How did those contract items impact your family composition while it was-
Bill:
Well, I've got triplets and they're starting their senior year in high school, and I'm looking at upgrade probably sometime in the next year. This last year that they're home with us, I want to spend all the time I can while working and optimizing my pay. So that's one thing. And then on the other hand, when they start college next year, we're going to be writing pretty large checks for them, all three kids at once. So I want to be able to afford it, and then also be able to afford setting up our retirement and the future with my wife and I and obviously the kids.
Dan Mosher:
What are some of the biggest challenges you faced online as a pilot for Southwest? During the three and a half years we've been negotiating the contract?
Amanda:
The biggest challenges I've been facing, aside from just the problems with our current contract, where language isn't there for protections for when we get extended short overnights. I've been flying more longer days, shorter overnights, and I feel like if we had it in the contract, we wouldn't be falling into those problems.
Stephan:
I think the most difficult thing about how long this has taken is it just feels like a little disrespectful. Again, when we're asked to step up the plate, I think most people will agree we always do and go above and beyond, and it'd be nice if we saw that in kind back towards us.
Dan Mosher:
What do you think the impact of a three and a half year negotiation on a strike authorization and the historic stonewalling of labor by management will have long-term on pilots itself? Service?
Craig:
The thing that springs to mind is the loss of trust, loss of innocence. The warn notices that were sent out in December. I've heard stories of guys keeping it from their wives because they were in their own personal situations providing enough and didn't tell their family that, "Hey, we may lose our job." And this is right before Christmas, not wanting to tell. Luckily, nothing came that it, but yeah, loss of trust, loss of innocence.
Dan Mosher:
Are you one affected by the notices?
Craig:
No, no, no. I was lucky. I think that was six months after I got hired is when that started. But at the same time, it was from the outside looking in and really not the outside looking in, if they send it to one group, they can send it to any group. And as someone who's been through a furlough right after getting hired, that happened to us not right after 9/11. I know how hard that is. I got notice I was let go of one month before my wedding, right after 9/11. I kind of knew it was coming, but it's never nice to hear. So I know how those guys felt.
Dan Mosher:
What is the message our pilots most want our passengers who are seeing these lines today, that severe?
Craig:
We want to serve you. We come to work, and some of the satisfaction that we get out of doing our job is getting people to where they need to be on time. It's farther than ethos, that people that I've worked with here, that we have. We want to make people happy. And when we can't do that, it's frustrating. And hopefully we can get back to doing that.
Dan Mosher:
When you think of this contract negotiating cycle and all that SWAPA pilots have had to do to bring management to the table, what is your hope for the next generation of pilots? How is this contract going to help those people that aren't even furious?
Craig:
I hope we're doing the heavy lift here by doing the complete rewrite, by taking on these things that people have talked about. Some of the [inaudible] is a great place, but hopefully we shore up these areas in our contract. Hopefully this becomes the start of a good relationship with management and we can be what the Company told us we wanted to be. The best performing and most loved airline in the world. And I support this airline that's why I'm still here, why I haven't left, but I want to be part of the solution. So hopefully we are.
Dan Mosher:
Will there ever be a return to Herb Southwest Airlines?
Amanda:
I hope because honestly, I grew up in the airlines and I was excited when I came here because I knew Southwest was different. And I knew there wasn't the animosity that I had at United, that I saw at Northwest Airlink, and I was really looking forward to it. So I really hope it returns, but there's going to have to be some major, major changes throughout the whole Company, I think to get that reputation back.
Dan Mosher:
What does Bob Jordan need to do to get us to return back to Herb's airline?
Craig:
He needs to listen to us. He needs to listen to the people onward. He needs to go out, work with, when I say us, I mean pilots, flight attendants, all the flight crew, all the ground through. Everybody who wears a Southwest badge. He should be listening to what they have to say because we're the ones where the rubber meets the road. And we're the ones who are going to be, if we're happy, our customers know we're happy. If we're not happy, they're going to feel it.
Stephan:
Leadership is listening to the folks that drive your business and taking their input and making them the priority over anything else because once you take your team as high as they can go, they'll take you as high as you can go.
Marc:
Just for the senior leadership at Southwest Airlines love this Company. Always have, always will. And I'll bend over backwards for this Company, and I ask to be acknowledged. With that. Treat us good and we're going to treat you even better.
Kurt Heidemann:
We want to thank the pilots who spoke with us during the Nationwide picket.
Amy Robinson:
And we want to thank every one of you who joined us.
Kurt Heidemann:
Hopefully, negotiations will continue to progress and we will reach a ratifiable agreement before we need to hold another nationwide picket.