"Members Should Know If They Have a New Deal by Thurs" says Pilot Union

The Southwest Pilots Association had some news, telling membership that, "members should know by Thursday (November 30) if they have a new deal after three and a half years of negotiations."

Ahead of the news, whether good or bad, the union briefed members on the 3 possible outcomes that would follow: First, the Federal mediators from last year could set a new deadline and tell both sides to continue negotiations. Should they feel that SWAPA is not acting in good faith, it could suspend the process entirely. Lastly, if mediators feel the company is not acting in good faith, they could release both sides to a 30-day "cooling-off" period. In such a case, SWAPA could legally begin striking after that 30-day period.

"In that case, it would end somewhere between Christmas and New Years, and obviously that's bad," said Mike Paneblanco, SWAPA communications chair. The union already attempted an exercise of their power, when they requested the right to strike last July from mediators. Strikes remain exceedingly rare in the industry, with the last one taking place over at Spirit in 2010. The last strike vote in the union saw overwhelming, near-unanimous 99% approval for a strike, and SWAPA has begun opening "strike centers" to prepare for one just in case they get approval.

“Our negotiations continue, and we’ll keep working, with the assistance of the National Mediation Board, to reach an agreement that rewards our Pilots and places them competitively in the industry,” the airline representative wrote in an email to The Baltimore Banner. “For 52 years, we’ve maintained a legendary Southwest Culture that honors our valued Employees, and we look forward to continuing that tradition.”

FMI: www.swapa.org