Deceived, Devalued, Disrespected

Your Only Official Source of Factual Information

Members of TWU Local 556 have had enough, and have shown it through action: Your resounding YES votes authorizing your board to strike and your strong NO vote on TA 2023 have demonstrated you need more from Southwest Airlines.

Your action is the fuel moving process forward. Your TWU Local 556 Negotiating Committee comes to you today with important updates on our plan to take your anger with us as we fight to get back to the table with the ultimate mission of getting you the Contract you have earned.

Members Done with: Being Deceived.

Members of TWU Local 556 have had enough, and have shown it through action: Your resounding YES votes authorizing your board to strike and your strong NO vote on TA 2023 have demonstrated you need more from Southwest Airlines.

Your action is the fuel moving process forward. Your TWU Local 556 Negotiating Committee comes to you today with important updates on our plan to take your anger with us as we fight to get back to the table with the ultimate mission of getting you the Contract you have earned.(Read the letter in its entirety here.) Bob Jordan and Andrew Watterson have yet to agree to sign the letter.

In fact, throughout this hour-and-a-half meeting, we broke down the issues Flight Attendants face on the job, our frustration with our jobs and treatment by Southwest Management. We leveled our expectations and demands for a fair and equitable contract for Flight Attendants. We provided specific examples where the Company’s negotiators were deceptive or outright dishonest.Our appeals were met with complacency, disregard and, at times, downright dismissiveness.

Members Done with: Being Devalued.

In the meeting last week, TWU Local 556 expressed to Bob and Andrew the importance of Labor Relations getting back to the negotiating table to get Flight Attendants a Contract that sets a new bar appropriate for the industry’s best Flight Attendants. Compensation is tremendously important, as are work rule changes that respect our lives and personhood. Bob and Andrew alleged that they would express to our assigned Mediators the Company’s willingness to return to our federally mediated bargaining sessions as soon as Mediators make dates available. We will see if they follow through.

Meanwhile, your Union is also fighting to ensure that any improvement to other workgroup Contracts that also benefit Flight Attendants is captured for us. Most recently, this includes:

• Per Diem: On Monday, January 22, SWAPA announced that their Membership had ratified their TA, which now becomes their new CBA. TWU Local 556 extended our congratulations to our Pilots. This is of importance to Flight Attendants, too. Last December, your Negotiating Committee confirmed with Labor Relations Vice President Adam Carlisle, that if Pilots received an increase in per diem with a new Contract, that same benefit would apply to Flight Attendants. With the ratification of the Pilots’ TA, our me-too clause that impacts per diem will go into effect on February 1, 2024, with a $20 meal expense for flights (excluding international turns) over four (4) hours.
• BNA Moving Expenses: Earlier this month, our TWU Local 556 Grievance Chairperson Gayle Middleton met with Inflight Management regarding the BNA base opening and paid moves. It was brought to Management’s attention that the SWAPA TA had enhanced paid moving language. Since the rejected TA 2023 had improvements to Article 29 and the timing of the BNA base opening, it was discussed and agreed upon that Flight Attendants would also benefit from SWAPA moving expense provisions upon ratification of their TA. The TWU Local 556 Executive Board approved a letter of agreement about moving expenses to BNA, pending the outcome of SWAPA’s TA. With the pilots voting to ratify their TA, that LOA is now in effect.

Your Negotiating Committee, along with our Advisors, has continued to analyze the ratified SWAPA agreement and will communicate if there are any additional items we will benefit from due to our me-too clauses.

Members Done with: Being Disrespected.

As President and Lead Negotiator Lyn Montgomery reported in the first Membership Meeting of 2024, the undeniable results of the SAV and the TA 2023 vote have helped secure a meeting with our assigned Mediators on February 2. While this is not a mediated bargaining session, it is an important meeting to discuss the path forward for our Union to get back to the table and get you the Contract you deserve.

Members turning their anger into action has allowed our Union a meeting with Mediators, and this is how we plan to utilize that opportunity:

• We will discuss with our assigned Mediators the list of our demands TWU Local 556 sent to Southwest Airlines Management.
• If our assigned Mediators have dates for our negotiations with Southwest Airlines, we will communicate that in an update to the Membership.
• If our assigned Mediators do not have dates for negotiations, we will ask the TWU Local 556 Executive Board to authorize a request to be released from mediation. This request would be coordinated with TWU International President John Samuelsen, and is an essential first step toward starting a strike. (Please note: This does NOT mean we are on strike yet. Any actions that could be seen as “self-help” or strike-like activities are not authorized by your Union at this time.)

After meeting with our assigned Mediators, the Negotiating Committee will discuss and strategize with the Executive Board, and let Members know what is next.

You should know that your collective action is garnering attention from Management. Shortly after delivering your SAV results via email, and after President Lyn Montgomery conducted multiple interviews with media outlets, Vice President of Labor Relations Adam Carlisle sent out a communication to you via IIOTG. Make no mistake: Southwest Airlines Management is paying attention.

Also, your Union has made sure that the public knows, too. More than 150 media outlets reported on your SAV results, including Dallas-area television stations, The Dallas Morning News, the Associated Press, Reuters, Wall Street Journal, The Hill, KERA, Bloomberg, Washington Times, Nasdaq, MorningStar, Investor Place, Street Insider, Business Wire, Audacy, Fast Company, Seeking Alpha, Simple Flying, Travel Agent Central, The Stock Dork, Paddle Your Own Kanoo, and business journals across the country. Click here for one of the many news reports and please follow our TWU Local 556 Facebook page for many of the media links.

President Montgomery carried your message to millions in working with the media to educate them on our fight and to inform them of your historic show of unity and action in your recent SAV.

Next Steps

The TWU Local 556 Negotiating Committee will meet with our assigned Mediators on February 2, and then with the Executive Board. Membership will be kept apprised of the results of those discussions, and next steps toward the Contract we deserve.

In the meantime, please maintain a show of solidarity: Share Union messages online, wear your #556StrikesBack lanyard, and register for the Worldwide Flight Attendant Day of Action to be held on February 13.

In Unity,

TWU Local 556 Negotiating Committee
Lyn Montgomery
LaShaye Hutchinson
Liz Howayeck
Sam Wilkins
Justin Phillips

The views contained herein do not necessarily represent those of TWU Local 556 or TWU International. The purpose of this email communication is intended only to educate and inform TWU Local 556 Members. It is not intended to officially establish or clarify past practice, Contract language, or grievance/arbitration positions. It is therefore not to be utilized or relied upon by any person or party as evidence of the Union’s position on any past practices, Contract language, grievances/arbitrations, or any other disputes or issues between TWU Local 556 and Southwest Airlines.