TWU Local 556 Negotiation Update #17
The Company, unfortunately, demonstrated again this week that it is not engaged in a collaborative approach to collective bargaining. The Company’s actions at the negotiating table speak louder than the hollow words of collaboration echoed in its updates.
On Tuesday, October 8, the Company began the day by providing a presentation on technology items and its future plans. In addition, your NT was provided with information related to the use of technology by us, as Flight Attendants, and how that technology may evolve moving forward. While the Company is concerned with modernizing technology, your Union is also focused on protecting you from the Company acting as “Big Brother,” and blurring the lines between privacy in your work and home life.
The Company also provided a presentation regarding sick calls in which it alleged, in no uncertain terms, that we as Flight Attendants were abusing sick leave. President Lyn Montgomery immediately informed the Company that this blanket assertion was unwarranted, especially given the apparent holes in the Company’s statistical analysis. We have requested the data used by the Company to make this allegation. Our economist has already begun analyzing the material, so we can have a true understanding of the issue, without the fuzzy math utilized by the Company. After the presentation, the Company delivered counterproposals on Article 17 – Medical Examinations, Article 15 – Leave of Absence, and Article 16 – Sick Leave/On The Job Injury. There was minimal movement by the Company to address the needs presented in your NT’s proposals on these issues.
On Wednesday, October 9, your NT presented three counterproposals: Article 25 – Health and Safety, Article 34 – Passports/LODO, and Article 33 – Commuter Policy. The Union’s Safety Chairperson, Michael Massoni, joined us for our presentation of Article 25, as the NT’s subject matter expert. To say we were disappointed by the Company’s response is an understatement. The Company flatly refused to entertain basic industry standard safety and security protections. In fact, after our proposal, the Company commented that the parties were “far apart” and suggested the article be “tabled.” The Company, which routinely touts that safety is its “number one priority,” suspended discussion of the Health and Safety article. We must all ask ourselves whether “Safety … it’s our number one priority,” has become nothing more than a tagline for the Company. Our TWU Local 556 Safety Chairperson was dismayed with what transpired at the table and commented:
“It certainly is a sad day at Southwest Airlines when the airline that keeps proclaiming: “Safety … it’s our top priority,” won’t meaningfully negotiate basic (industry standard) health, safety, and security protections and instead wants to make Company flexibility, the priority. For the record, we are not willing to be flexible when it comes to the safety, wellbeing, and security of our Members — especially considering the ongoing safety shortcomings that have been identified at SWA over the past several years: uncontained engine failures, wing-body join (pickle fork) cracking, and the 737 MAX groundings, to name a few.”
The parties spent the first portion of Thursday, October 10, in caucus. Upon reconvening, your NT delivered a counterproposal on Article 17 – Medical Examinations. We continue to work to improve the process for when the Company sends a Flight Attendant for a fit-for-duty examination, including updating outdated terminology and incorporating basic legal protections. The Company presented counterproposals to Article 34 – Passports/LODO and Article 33 – Commuter, which made minor movement. However, the Company continues to outright reject a ground commuter policy. Your NT is still in the process of analyzing these counterproposals.
Stay informed, stay engaged, and continue to increase solidarity, as the powerful unionized workforce we are. The next bargaining session is scheduled for November 5-7.