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Settlement Agreement
Cabin Tidying
05/22/2025
During Section 6 bargaining for what would eventually become our ratified Contract 2024 (Pink Contract), the TWU Local 556 Membership joined in an impactful campaign showing Southwest Airlines Management “the receipts”. This campaign visually showed Southwest Airlines that the lack of defining our responsibility to “tidy” the cabin was resulting in our Flight Attendants cleaning unimaginable messes on our aircraft. With the firm belief that SWA was violating Articles 5 and 24.2 of our Contract, TWU Local 556 filed Group Grievance #93654 on October 10, 2023. The Company denied the grievance on October 30, 2023, and with ongoing talks resulting in limited movement, the Union scheduled the case for Arbitration before a neutral Arbitrator on May 20–21, 2025. As is often the case, the parties continued discussions hoping to reach an acceptable settlement instead of leaving the decision in the hands of a third party who doesn’t know the ins and outs of our role. Just days before the hearing, the presenting Attorneys entered settlement discussions, which ultimately led to an agreement between TWU Local 556 and Southwest Airlines on new language. This includes the definition of “tidying” and a procedure for non-Flight Attendant Personnel to clean the aircraft when tidying alone is not enough.
Definition of Tidying
“What is now defined as ‘tidying’ the cabin?”
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Cross seatbelts.
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Lower all armrests.
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Open all functioning overhead bins.
Pick up trash (loose debris) in and around the seats, literature pocket, and seatback pocket that is visible. Flight Attendants are not required to reach into non-visible areas (such as seatback pockets) or crawl on the floor.
“There are ground crackers on the floor. Do I still get out the hokey to try and pick them up?”
Yes. You would still try and clean using the onboard sweeper. However, if that doesn’t work, notify the Ops Agent to get non-Flight Attendant Personnel onboard to clean.
“OK… but who determines whether the aircraft requires a more thorough cleaning?”
YOU! If common-sense dictates that the mess in the cabin requires more than tidying (as is now defined), the Flight Attendant will notify the Pilots (in the air) or Ops Agent (on the ground) to get non-Flight Attendant Personnel to clean.
“Why didn’t we just get cleaners?!?”
Southwest Airlines has consistently declined to provide extra cleaning support, making this agreement crucial not just for the present, but for ensuring better standards moving forward. While cabin cleaners can be a discussion for in the future, right now, TWU Local 556 focused on solidifying our current contractual language and putting the onus on Southwest Airlines to provide the appropriate non-Flight Attendant Personnel when cleaning is needed. This empowers YOU to say when a mess exceeds the now defined “tidying”, without fear of discipline from Management.
“Who are the ‘non-Flight Attendant Personnel’? Are they cleaners?”
In some instances, Southwest Airlines may employ outside personnel to clean our cabin or affected sections of the cabin. In other situations, they may designate another workgroup (as negotiated in their Contract) to be responsible for the cleaning. In short, TWU Local 556 Flight Attendants will NOT be the people responsible to clean a cabin above the negotiated tidying. Who Southwest Airlines pays to clean the cabin is beyond our scope.
“We’re on descent and I notice a row that is going to require cleaning. What should I do?”
If sterile flight deck has not begun, notify the Pilots the row or area of the cabin which will require attention from non-Flight Attendant Personnel to clean. This will allow our Co-Hearts on the ground to organize the necessary people for the aircraft in a timely fashion. If sterile flight deck has commenced, notify the “A” Flight Attendant of the issue so the Ops Agent can be told at the opening of the forward cabin door.
“I was just told by the Ops Agent that I should clean it! What should I do?”
This new language includes protections against discipline when a Flight Attendant follows the procedures outlined in the agreement. Reiterate that the mess exceeds our contractual definition of tidying and that non-Flight Attendant Personnel are required to clean the row (or area of the cabin). Document the mess and contact our Union Office so difficulties can be addressed and corrected to ensure our contractual language is being followed.
“Was there any change to Regulated Garbage?”
No. Regulated Garbage should continue to be handled per Section 8.15 of the Flight Attendant Manual (FAM).