TWU Local 556 Negotiation Update #14

The Company wants a quick deal. Your Union wants the right deal. 

Management continued this week with its misguided effort to impose artificial deadlines on this negotiation process. The Company presented your Negotiating Committee with a comprehensive proposal last week that, in large part, ignored the most important needs identified by you, the Members. We will, over the course of the coming days and weeks, explain in more detail why management’s proposal falls woefully short of providing you with the Contract your hard work has earned. Prior to passing their proposal, the Company attached to it an arbitrary expiration date. Management has insisted their comprehensive proposal is a package deal that must be agreed upon by November 1, 2019. The Company wants a quick deal, but you have earned the right deal. 

We, as a workgroup, must ask ourselves why the Company is pressing so hard to finalize a Tentative Agreement by November 1 of this year. We must ask ourselves why management is so focused on an artificial deadline that has blinded the Company to the needs of its Flight Attendants. This corporate blindness has exhibited itself at the table — so much so that one of your Negotiating Committee’s presentations last week on the issues you, as Flight Attendants, have with hotels was met with the words, “I’m just not feeling it” from a Company negotiator. The Company wants a quick deal. You have earned the right deal. Your Negotiating Committee is certainly “feeling” that. 

Simply put, the “comprehensive proposal” delivered by the Company last week does very little to address the concerns you have told your Union are important. Below are a few reasons why the Company’s proposal is inadequate:

Unfortunately, for those of you that have followed these negotiations closely, this should not come as a surprise. For those of you who have not followed as closely, it is time now to become engaged. Negotiations to address the issues that are important to you may not be easy or come together overnight, but the time is worth the product.  

We will continue to address the inadequacies of the Company’s proposal with you soon. You may also hear from the Company, but management is predictable in this respect. You may hear that your Union is not interested in reaching a prompt resolution to these negotiations. That is untrue. Your Union would welcome a prompt deal — but only if it is the right deal for you. We anticipate the Company might try to communicate with you directly, through various channels, in an attempt to convince you their “comprehensive proposal” is in your best interest. Experience has shown that when Southwest tries to convince its organized work groups to accept a contract proposal, it is because the terms of the proposal fail to speak for themselves.  

Your Negotiating Committee will never present you with a subpar agreement like the one management proposed last week. We know that all of you work tirelessly to make this Company successful, and your efforts deserve to be recognized and respected. If that means negotiating past November 1, 2019, then so be it. We will not relent until we achieve a Tentative Agreement worthy of your consideration and vote. It is time to stand in solidarity as a Union to send a clear message that we are not interested in a quick agreement. Rather, we will take the time needed for the right agreement and will settle for nothing less.

In Solidarity,

Your TWU Local 556 Negotiating Committee

Last week’s negotiation session was scheduled for July 30, 31 and August 1. The parties spent two days in face to face meetings and one day in caucus. Our next session is scheduled for August 27-29 and will be hosted at the TWU Local 556 offices.