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DALLAS (AP) — Pilots at Southwest Airlines have overwhelmingly approved a new contract that will raise their pay rates by nearly 50% by 2028, becoming the last group of pilots at the nation’s four biggest airlines to score huge raises. The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association said Monday that the agreement covering pay and other issues for about 11,000 pilots was ratified by a 93% to 7% margin. Airline labor groups – and pilots in particular – have succeeded in negotiating pay raises over the past year as most U.S. have returned to solid profitability coming out of the pandemic. The Southwest agreement followed more than three years of bargaining. The contract calls for an immediate 29.15% increase in pay rates upon ratification, followed by 4% raises in 2025, 2026, and 2027 and a 3.25% increase in 2028.

Persons: ”, Casey Murray, Adam Carlisle Organizations: DALLAS, — Pilots, Southwest Airlines, Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, Pilots, Southwest Locations: Delta, United

☆ Southwest Airlines pilot pay would increase 50% under new labor contract
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-19 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Southwest Airlines and its pilots' union have reached a new preliminary labor agreement that would give pilots 50% cumulative pay increases over the life of the contract, a deal that could end years of tense negotiations. The five-year deal is worth about $12 billion, Casey Murray, president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, told CNBC on Tuesday. In comparison, larger rival United Airlines ' new four-year pilot contract is worth about $10 billion, according to the aviators' union. Once the contract becomes amendable, Southwest pilots would get 2.5% annual bonuses until the airline and union reach a new agreement. FedEx pilots rejected an preliminary deal earlier this year, while UPS pilots' union is set to start negotiations in mid-2024.

Persons: Casey Murray Organizations: Southwest Airlines, Southwest, U.S, Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, CNBC, United Airlines, United, Delta, FedEx, UPS, U.S . Department of Transportation, Labor, Hollywood, United Auto Workers union Locations: Southwest

☆ Southwest, pilots' union near a preliminary labor deal, the last of the major U.S. airlines
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The company and the union have agreed on pay, retirement and other items but are working on an implementation schedule, the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association said in a message to its members on Thursday. If a preliminary agreement is approved by Southwest pilots' union board in the coming weeks, it would then go to pilots for a ratification vote. Southwest and the union "are working hard to close out the few remaining items," an airline spokesman told CNBC. "Southwest remains committed to reaching an agreement that rewards our Pilots and places them competitively in the industry." Southwest reached a preliminary agreement with its flight attendants' union earlier this fall that includes 36% pay increases for cabin crew members.

Organizations: Southwest Airlines, Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, . Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest, CNBC, Hollywood, United Auto Workers

Officials with the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association say they too will ask for the right to strike if they don't have a contract deal with the airline in the next few days. “We definitely don't feel any equality here,” said Erik Harris, treasurer of the flight attendants' union. “How come the pilots have gotten their deal and we haven't?”Because of pattern bargaining, Southwest pilots are likely to wind up with raises like those approved for American Airlines pilots. The Southwest pilots' union has already tried and failed once this year to get permission to strike. On Thursday, several dozen American Airlines flight attendants picketed along a thoroughfare outside company headquarters in Texas, some carrying signs reading, “Ready to strike."

Persons: ”, “, Erik Harris, Tom Nekouei, Harris Organizations: —, Airlines, The, Professional, Southwest, Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, U.S, Spirit Airlines, National, Board, American Airlines, Boeing, ”, United Auto Workers, Hollywood, Teamsters, United Parcel Service Locations: Texas, Dallas, Fort Worth, Southwest, ” Dallas

AIRLINES & AEROSPACE FIRMSPilots at several airlines including American Airlines (AAL.O), Delta Airlines (DAL.N), United Airlines Holdings (UAL.O), Spirit Airlines (SAVE.N) and Jetblue Airways (JBLU.O) negotiated new job contracts this year. Members of some unions like the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association have voted to authorize a strike if a new contract is not reached. MANUFACTURINGU.S. steel producer Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF.N) has reached a tentative agreement with the United Steelworkers union on a new three-year labor agreement for its Northshore mining operations. The Detroit Casino Council (DCC), which represents the workers, could call for strikes as soon as mid-October, when contracts expire. Labor unions secured new contract agreements at multistate operator-owned cannabis dispensaries in Illinois and in New Jersey in July.

Persons: Sergio Martinez, Mike Blake, Mack Trucks, isn't, Mrinalika Roy, Sriraj Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, Reuters, Alliance, Television Producers, SAG, Hollywood, United Auto Workers, UAW, Detroit Three, General Motors, Ford Motor, Chrysler, Volvo Group, United Parcel Service, FedEx, Pilots, AIRLINES & AEROSPACE, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, United Airlines Holdings, Spirit Airlines, Jetblue Airways, Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, United Steelworkers, U.S . Steel, Unions, Vegas, MGM, Detroit, MotorCity, Detroit Casino Council, Kaiser Permanente, Workers, Green Thumb Industries, Labor, Phillips, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Michigan , Ohio, Missouri, Wichita , Kansas, Cleveland, Detroit, Hollywood, Greektown, Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Illinois, New Jersey, Roxana , Illinois, Bengaluru

☆ From UPS to Detroit Three automakers, US labor unions flex muscle
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

AIRLINES & AEROSPACE FIRMSPilots at several airlines including American Airlines (AAL.O), Delta Airlines (DAL.N), United Airlines Holdings (UAL.O), Spirit Airlines (SAVE.N), Jetblue Airways (JBLU.O) negotiated new job contracts this year. AUTOMOTIVEUnited Auto Workers (UAW) union has been embroiled in a dispute over wages and pension plans with the Detroit Three automakers. U.S. Steel (X.N), which is reviewing multiple proposals ranging from partial acquisition to an entire buyout, is embroiled in a tussle with the United Steel Workers union. Labor unions secured new contract agreements at multistate operator-owned cannabis dispensaries in Illinois and in New Jersey in July. If workers do not vote to ratify the contract, the union will vote the following week on whether to strike.

Persons: Sergio Martinez, Mike Blake, Mrinalika Roy, Sriraj Kalluvila, Shounak Organizations: REUTERS, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Reuters, Hollywood, United Parcel Service, FedEx, Pilots, AIRLINES & AEROSPACE, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, United Airlines Holdings, Spirit Airlines, Jetblue Airways, Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, United Auto Workers, UAW, Detroit Three automakers, Cliffs Inc, United Steelworkers, U.S . Steel, United Steel Workers, Workers, Green Thumb Industries, Labor, Phillips, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, California, Wichita , Kansas, Cleveland, Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Illinois, New Jersey, Roxana , Illinois, Bengaluru

☆ Factbox: From UPS to Detroit Three automakers, US labor unions flex muscle
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Teamster member Sergio Martinez yells out during a rally outside a UPS facility in downtown in Los Angeles, California, U.S. July 19, 2023. AIRLINES & AEROSPACE FIRMSPilots at several airlines including American Airlines (AAL.O), Delta Airlines (DAL.N), United Airlines Holdings (UAL.O), Spirit Airlines (SAVE.N), Jetblue Airways (JBLU.O) negotiated new job contracts this year. Members of some unions like the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association have voted to authorize a strike if a new contract is not reached. U.S. Steel (X.N), which is reviewing multiple proposals ranging from partial acquisition to an entire buyout, is embroiled in a tussle with the United Steel Workers union. Labor unions secured new contract agreements at multistate operator-owned cannabis dispensaries in Illinois and in New Jersey in July.

Persons: Sergio Martinez, Mike Blake, Mrinalika Roy, Sriraj Organizations: REUTERS, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Reuters, Screen, United Parcel Service, FedEx, Pilots, AIRLINES & AEROSPACE, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, United Airlines Holdings, Spirit Airlines, Jetblue Airways, Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, United Auto Workers, UAW, Detroit Three, Cliffs Inc, United Steelworkers, U.S . Steel, United Steel Workers, Workers, Green Thumb Industries, Labor, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Wichita , Kansas, Cleveland, Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Illinois, New Jersey, Bengaluru

Members of the United Auto Workers union hold a rally and practice picket near a Stellantis plant in Detroit, Aug. 23, 2023. Gallup reports 71% of Americans approved of labor unions in 2022 — the highest since 1965. United Airlines struck a preliminary agreement with its pilots union last month for up to 40% raises over four years. Casey Murray, president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, said frequent reassignments can wear pilots down, just as they would passengers. "They need that predictability," he said, adding that the company has made some progress in talks with the pilots' union in recent weeks.

Persons: Michael Wayland, Robert Bruno, Mario Tama, Daniel, Chris, Wells, Shawn Fain, CNBC It's, Melissa Atkins, hadn't, Johnnie Kallas, Cornell's, Casey Murray, UIUC's Bruno, it's Organizations: United Auto Workers, CNBC, UPS, Workers, Boeing, Spirit, Guild of America, Labor, University of Illinois, Striking, Paramount Studios, Getty, Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Screen, – American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, Writers Guild of America, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, Gallup, General Motors, Ford Motor, UAW, Deere, CNH, Detroit, Teamsters Union, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, United Airlines, Netflix, Warner Bros ., WGA, SAG, Hollywood, Southwest Airlines, Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, U.S, Teamsters Locations: Detroit, Amazon, University of Illinois Urbana, Champaign, Los Angeles, Hollywood

☆ Explainer: Why U.S. labor unions are gaining leverage in contract talks with big employers
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Aishwarya Nair | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

July 5 (Reuters) - U.S. union workers are finding more solid footing during contract negotiations with employers as a tight labor market allows employees to flex more bargaining power. Airline pilots, railroad employees, dockworkers, and others have pushed for higher pay and better benefits, rebuffing offers from companies that in some contracts appeared significant. The two on Wednesday accused each other of walking away from negotiations over a new contract. WHAT ARE SOME NOTABLE UPCOMING CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS? Among U.S. airlines, Southwest Airlines (LUV.N) is yet to reach an agreement with its pilots union.

Persons: Joe Biden, Aishwarya Nair, Sriraj Organizations: Airline, United Parcel Service, Teamsters Union, Congress, Unions, United Auto Workers ', UAW, Detroit, Stellantis, General Motors Co, Ford Motor, U.S, Southwest Airlines, Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, Thomson Locations: Washington, Bengaluru

☆ Southwest pilots' union lays groundwork for potential strike with labor talks at an impasse
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A Southwest Airlines Co. plane takes off as representatives and pilots from the Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association (SWAPA) demonstrate outside Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., on Wednesday, May 18, 2016. Southwest Airlines pilots' union said Thursday it sought to be released from federal mediation for a new labor contract, laying the groundwork for a potential strike as talks with the carrier haven't yet yielded an agreement. The airline and union, the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, have been in contract talks for more than three years and negotiations have been tense. Pilot strikes in the U.S. are extremely rare, and the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association's request does not mean that one is imminent because of procedures in U.S. labor law. There are several so-called cooling off periods should the National Mediation Board declare an impasse between Southwest and its pilots' union.

Persons: Jody R, Adam Carlisle, We've Organizations: Southwest Airlines Co, Southwest Airlines Pilots ' Association, Chicago, International, Southwest Airlines, Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, National, CNBC, Southwest, Pilots, Southwest Airlines Pilots, U.S, Spirit Airlines Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, Dallas, Southwest

☆ Factbox: Pilots, airlines seek to strike new contracts ahead of peak travel season
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO (LUV.N):The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA) in May said its members at the company approved a strike mandate. It added that 98% of its members participated in the vote and 99% voted in favor of authorizing a strike. UNITED AIRLINES HOLDINGS INC (UAL.O):Last year, ALPA said 94% of the nearly 10,000 United Airlines pilots voted to reject a contract offer. SPIRIT AIRLINES INC (SAVE.N):In January, ALPA said pilots at Spirit Airlines voted to ratify a new contract. More than 97% of the union members took part in the vote and 99% of them authorized union leaders to call a strike, if needed.

☆ Why you don’t have to worry about a US airline strike disrupting your summer travel plans
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —American Airlines pilots voted to go on strike Monday. Southwest pilots are holding a strike vote as well. Many unions have had members participate in informational pickets at major airports, at American pilots did Monday. The last time a major airline was grounded by a strike was 25 years ago when Northwest Airlines pilots went on strike for two weeks. But most negotiations are settled, even after a strike vote, without a work stoppage.

The Dallas-based carrier has blamed the hour-long outage on a vendor-supplied network firewall failure, causing a temporary loss of connection to key systems. Southwest told Reuters on Wednesday it opted to halt flights out of caution, adding there were no indications of a cyber attack. It declined to identify the vendor and did not address why this failure was not part of the company's planning. While the exact cause is not clear, some industry experts questioned why Southwest systems did not include more redundancy. Southwest was able to manually launch flights while SWIFT was down but decided to suspend departures at 8:27 a.m. CST.

☆ Southwest Airlines Pilots Association explains what grounded the airlines' fleet
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailSouthwest Airlines Pilots Association explains what grounded the airlines' fleetCapt. Tom Nekouei of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association discusses what led to Tuesday's grounded Southwest flights. Hosted by Brian Sullivan, “Last Call” is a fast-paced, entertaining business show that explores the intersection of money, culture and policy. Tune in Monday through Friday at 7 p.m. ET on CNBC.

WASHINGTON, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Southwest Airlines (LUV.N) on Thursday faced harsh criticism from U.S. senators at a hearing investigating the airline's meltdown that disrupted travel plans for 2 million customers, with one lawmaker calling the situation an "unmitigated disaster." While Southwest cited weather impacts, the union singled out poor preparation and a failure to modernize technology. Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen called it an "unmitigated disaster" that had a "devastating impact on families." Watterson said it has received about 284,000 cases from passengers impacted by meltdown and reimbursed more than 273,000 -- leaving 10,782. Cantwell said Southwest Chief Executive Officer Bob Jordan, who had been invited to the hearing, "didn't want to show up."

WASHINGTON, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Southwest Airlines (LUV.N) faced harsh criticism from U.S. senators at a hearing on Thursday investigating the airline's meltdown that disrupted travel plans for 2 million customers. The airline and its pilot union offered sharply contrasting reasons for the low-cost carrier's massive travel disruptions. While Southwest cited weather impacts, the union singled out poor preparation and a failure to modernize technology. Cantwell said Southwest Chief Executive Officer Bob Jordan, who had been invited to the hearing, "didn't want to show up." The meltdown caused the cancellation of almost 17,000 flights and is estimated to have cost the airline more than $1 billion.

WASHINGTON, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Southwest Airlines (LUV.N) faced harsh criticism from U.S. senators at a hearing on Thursday investigating the airline's meltdown that disrupted travel plans for 2 million customers. Senator Ted Cruz, the top Republican on the Senate Commerce Committee, called the cancellation of more than 16,000 flights "an epic screwup." While Southwest cited weather impacts, the union singled out poor preparation and a failure to modernize technology. Cantwell said Southwest Chief Executive Officer Bob Jordan, who had been invited to the hearing, "didn't want to show up." Casey Murray, president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA), said that the union has been sounding the alarm about the carrier's crew scheduling technology and "outdated" operational processes for years.

☆ Southwest explains its meltdown to Congress
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Gregory Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington CNN —Congress is set to receive new evidence Thursday of internal chaos at Southwest Airlines over the Christmas holiday meltdown. The Senate Commerce committee is set to question Southwest executive Andrew Watterson, alongside Southwest pilot union president Casey Murray, Sharon Pinkerton of the Airlines for America trade group, Paul Hudson of Flyers’ Rights, and economist Clifford Winston of The Brookings Institution. It’s a mess down here.”A photograph of the message, which shows the extent of the airline’s breakdown, is included in testimony the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association union, SWAPA, plans to present at the hearing. Southwest CEO Bob Jordan apologized and the airline offered reimbursements for passengers’ costs, along with bonus points. The union criticized the airline for giving executives stock options in the wake of the meltdown while employees lost profit sharing pay because of the airline’s financial hit due to the meltdown.

☆ Southwest faces Senate hearing over holiday travel chaos
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Passengers check in for a Southwest Airlines Co. flight inside Terminal 1 at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in Los Angeles, California, on August 10, 2022. Southwest Airlines ' chief operations officer is scheduled to face questions from a Senate panel on Thursday over the carrier's December meltdown that stranded thousands of passengers over the holidays. Andrew Watterson plans to apologize for the travel chaos before the Senate Commerce Committee. The president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, Casey Murray, will tell the panel that the carrier ignored warning signs about its operation, according to written testimony reviewed by CNBC. Core values were forgotten," Casey Murray said in written testimony ahead of Thursday's hearing.

WASHINGTON, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Southwest Airlines (LUV.N) and its pilot union will offer sharply contrasting reasons for the low-cost carrier's meltdown in December that disrupted travel plans for two million customers, ahead of a U.S. Senate committee hearing on Thursday. While Southwest has cited weather impacts, the union will single out poor preparation and a failure to modernize technology, according to written testimonies for the hearing, seen by Reuters. "What began as a weather event on December 21st turned into a crew scheduling event by December 24th," said Watterson. Casey Murray, president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA) said the union has been sounding the alarm about the carrier's crew scheduling technology and "outdated" operational processes for years. The committee had asked Jordan to testify but Southwest said the hearing conflicted with other commitments, including an employee rally in Baltimore on Wednesday.

☆ Southwest CEO Jordan finds himself in eye of storm after airline's holiday debacle
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Rajesh Kumar Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

CHICAGO, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Bob Jordan, Southwest Airlines Co's (LUV.N) CEO, faces the biggest challenge yet in his 35-year career at the airline that has built a customer-friendly reputation. Southwest's struggles reached a notable low on Jan. 28 when comedy sketch TV show "Saturday Night Live" lampooned the Dallas-based airline's technology and service. The carrier will now answer to U.S. Congress on Thursday when Chief Operating Officer Andrew Watterson testifies before the Senate Commerce Committee. In October, Jordan, who started his career at Southwest in 1988 as a computer programmer, put Watterson in charge of the airline's operations. Last week, Jordan also named a chief information officer who will help manage the airline's technology investments, upgrades and system maintenance.

☆ Southwest pilots detail the Christmas meltdown chaos
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Gregory Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Congress is set to receive new evidence Thursday of internal chaos at Southwest Airlines over the Christmas holiday meltdown. It’s a mess down here.”A photograph of the message, which shows the extent of the airline’s breakdown, is included in testimony the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association union, SWAPA, plans to present at a Senate Commerce committee hearing. “No updates here,” another cockpit computer message to pilots read. Southwest CEO Bob Jordan apologized and the airline offered reimbursements for passengers’ costs, along with bonus points. The union criticized the airline for giving executives stock options in the wake of the meltdown while employees lost profit sharing pay because of the airline’s financial hit due to the meltdown.

☆ Southwest to testify at U.S. Senate hearing after meltdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Alyssa Pointer/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Southwest Airlines (LUV.N) Chief Operating Officer Andrew Watterson will testify on Feb. 9 before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee after a holiday meltdown forced the budget carrier to cancel thousands of flights. The hearing titled "Strengthening Airline Operations and Consumer Protections" will also include Southwest Airlines Pilots Association President Captain Casey Murray, Sharon Pinkerton, a senior official with Airlines for America, an industry group, and Paul Hudson, who heads Flyers' Rights, a passenger advocacy organization. The hearing will review causes and impacts of recent air travel disruptions including the Southwest December holiday operational woes that resulted in more than 16,000 flight cancellations. Southwest Chief Executive Bob Jordan has repeatedly apologized for the mass cancellations and said the carrier is looking at all options to prevent a repeat. The U.S. Transportation Department (USDOT) is investigating whether Southwest engaged in "unrealistic scheduling of flights" in December.

☆ Southwest Airlines to pay pilots millions in bonuses as 'gratitude' for working during meltdown: CNN
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Marielle Descalsota | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Southwest will pay pilots an estimated $45 million in bonuses for working during the service meltdown last year, per CNN. Some 9,400 pilots are expected to be paid 50% of their regular pay, CNN reported. Southwest employs some 9,400 pilots who are expected to be compensated 50% of their regular pay, CNN reported, citing a message sent by the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association to a member. These bonuses, or "gratitude pay," are meant to compensate pilots for working through the airline's service meltdown last December, the report states. Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan took responsibility for the carrier's operational meltdown over the recent holiday season.

☆ Southwest pilots, others to get bonus pay for working during meltdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Southwest Airlines has agreed to pay its pilots an estimated $45 million in bonus “gratitude pay” for working through the company’s service meltdown during the holiday travel period at the end of last year. Southwest has about 9,400 pilots. The estimated cost of their bonus pay was disclosed in a message from the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association to its membership saying the “gratitude pay” will be equal 50% of the pilots’ regular pay, excluding holiday pay, sick pay or vacation time. Southwest said the “gratitude” pay to employees is included in that estimate. About 83% of Southwest employees are represented by union groups, and the airline is currently in negotiations concerning seven separate contracts that cover most of those union members.

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