The SWAPA Number: Recent Episodes
SWAPA
In each podcast we explore a number that will help us explain an issue that matters to our Pilots. This might be a scheduling metric, a Company financial number that impacts us, or anything else that has significance to us as SWAPA Pilots.
Welcome back to the Contract 2029 Survey Education and Poll Series. Today we are relaunching the Contract 2020 TA Education podcast on Section 3: Expenses, which was originally recorded in December 2023.
Most of that conversation between NC Chair Kurt Heideman and President Jody Reven, who was the NC Chair at the time, is still true.
Hopefully this will provide a thorough look at what our expenses language says today, some background and context on how we arrived at this language, and how it compares to the rest of the industry.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 3, as in the 3 step technique that Professional Standards recommends using for conflict resolution out on the line. Listen in to find out what that technique is and how to use it.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 10. That's the number of subject matter experts and executives that were on the town hall that took place on July 28th. So for this episode, we are providing you an opportunity to hear that town hall in case you missed the live event, during which we posed questions ranging from SWAPA's relationship with the company to where we are with implementation to the status of our move through the strategic plan. It truly had so much in it that we felt it worthy of a second listen.
Four questions did not get addressed on air as we ran out of time and can be found below.
It seems there are many more 4 day trips and 4 day reserve blocks in elitt then ever before. I know there is a cap on the percentage of 4 days but it seems to be growing each month. What is causing this?
The number of 4-day pairings in the system has increased from ~18% to 20% of the pairing mix which is due to a multitude of reasons, but the increase in ELITT is a combination of vacation shifting to drop more, training bidding + a longer training footprint this year which can lead to two pairings being dropped on each side (whereas the last contract they optimized to the lowest cost/trip pull). Each category is unique, but the upgrade schedule this year has been aggressive so some bases see a full month of pulls to send Pilots to training. In addition, Crew Planning has increased the number of blank lines which means more 4-day pairings get pulled from blank lines for the above reasons that then fall directly into MOT and ELITT opening.
How much does it cost to have the ELITT Red-Filter to actually work?
“Cost" may be difficult to pin down, but there will be additional filtering available across systems in CWA between now and ongoing modernization efforts. Some of the disconnect right now is that there is the contractual definition of "red-eye" which encompasses flights that operate across 0200 domicile time, whereas there are "enterprise red-eyes" that launch after 0200 domicile time, so the CWA system doesn't flag those as "red-eye". We've said multiple times that this is causing confusion and hopefully we'll make progress over time with additional filtering logic that will include all variations of red-eye operations.
If a SWAPA rep were to seek and be hired for a job at HQ SWA, would one open up at SWAPA? Do we have any language in our bylaws to prohibit this or anything planned?
Short answer: yes, a position would open up, but no, we don't have anything on the books that stops someone from taking that job in the first place.
The mechanism is our Constitution that defines membership classes based on who you work for and in what capacity. If a Pilot moves into a management, executive, or supervisory role at Southwest, they're no longer classified as an Active Member — they become an Executive Member. Executive Members aren't eligible to hold elected or appointed positions in SWAPA, period. So in the event that job offer is accepted, that person is no longer eligible to serve at SWAPA in any capacity. The vacancy gets filled the same way we fill any other vacancy as outlined in the Constitution.
While we don't have an enforceable rule that says SWAPA personnel can't apply for or accept a management job at Southwest like you’re describing, Section 10, Appendix A of the Policy Manual speaks to the Code of Ethics and Conduct Policy. This 'pledge' in paragraph IV says (in part) that no individual covered by this policy may accept a supervisory position within Southwest Airlines or its subsidiaries for a period of at least twenty-four (24) months following the completion of SWAPA service.
So it’s not a fully closed loop. It's a fair thing to raise, and it's exactly the kind of item our Constitution Review Committee reviews every year before the May Board meeting. If the membership wants stronger language here, that's the process to bring it forward, and we'd encourage anyone who feels strongly about it to push it through their Domicile Rep for attention.
Regarding sick leave buyback, is this something the company really wants, the membership, or a combination of both?
We can’t speak for the Company, but from the membership side, the appetite for a sick leave buyback was seen in Leading Edge 2.0 back in March. The open ended in person interviews we conducted and the online surveys revealed the membership’s interest in such a program, characterized best as “tell me more about it.”
The Benefits and Leaves Survey sought to gain more insight from the membership. The Education was a deep dive into the pros, cons, industry comparisons, and it’s potential relationship with disability and sick accrual. The polling results will drill down exactly where the membership is sitting – including what the parameters are for having one at all.
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Welcome back to The Contract 2029 Survey Education Poll series. I'm your Communications Committee Chair, Matt McCants. My guests today are Kurt Heidemann, your negotiating committee chair. And Resident Benefits Subject Matter Expert and NC Member, Damian Jennette. We are going over the recently surveyed topics of sick leave and a sick bank buyback program.
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Welcome back to the Contract 2029, Survey, Educate and Poll Series. I'm Tony Mulhare with SWAPA Comm. And today, I'm sitting down with Tony Caparella, Brent Wiesner, and Damian Jeanette to talk the benefits portion of the contract. Damian is on our 401(k) committee now, but was on the negotiating committee last cycle, specializing in the benefits plan. Tony and Brent are our benefits committee pilots who work directly with members going out and returning from disability.
We just concluded the benefits and leaves blank sheet survey. So, let's dig into what we learned and fill the membership in on what you all have worked on behind the scenes so we can go into the polling phases with eyes wide open. During this discussion, we are going to compare our CBA provided benefits with other airlines. You can find the contract comparison document on the negotiating committee page on swapa.org and we will link in the show notes so you can follow along.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 83,503. That's the number of queries fielded by Contract AI in its first nine months.
So today we're joined by IT Chair Will Young, Committee Member Thomas Lowrey, and IT director at Leigh Sperberg to discuss where we are and where we're going with SWAPA IT.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 13. That's the number of pilots on the SWAPA safety committee covering multiple departments. They all look at different parts of the safety world, but together, they refine exactly how we keep safety our number one priority.
So, today, we're joined by Safety Committee Chairman Ken Schwantner and Safety Committee Member Gary Niemann to discuss all the flight safety topics that are front and center, not just with us here at Southwest, but with the aviation community at large.
Safety Acronyms:
ASAP: Aviation Safety Action Program
IR: Irregularity Report
PM&I: Pilot Monitoring and Intervention
ERC: Event Review Committee
LRD: Load Reduction Device
PRSOV: Pressure Regulating Shutoff Valve
SRM: Safety Risk Management
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Join host Amy Robinson, Matt McCants, and guest Amanda Burford, SWAPA’s Hotels Liaison, for a discussion on crew accommodations as part of the Contract 2029 Education Series. This episode covers key insights into hotel policies, processes, and the role of the Crew Accommodations Board in supporting pilots on the road.
For more information, visit the Crew Hotels and Resources Site. This site gives you access to the Crew Rest Feedback Form, Crew Hotel List/Alternates, Hotel Standards Manual, and the Amenities and Transportation List.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 4.6 as in 4.6%. That was Southwest Airlines operating margin in the first quarter of 2026. That's the best first quarter margin that the company has produced since before the pandemic. So today, we'll take a look at the company's financial performance, how its revenue initiatives have played out and where we go from here. Joining us today are SWAPA Second Vice President, Hank Ketchum, as well as Erich Schnitzler and Greg Auld from the Economic and Financial Analysis Committee. We've also included a companion piece that defines some of the financial terms that we'll be talking about today. So please take a look at that to help follow along if you didn't major in finance.
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Welcome back to the Contract 2029 SEP Education Series. This episode builds on recent scheduling education tied to a potential new fleet, focusing on key points due to time limits. Members from SWAPA, APA, and Delta ALPA discuss long‑haul widebody scheduling concepts as a due‑diligence exercise—not a forecast—to help pilots understand how widebody operations differ if future fleet changes occur.
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Welcome back to the Contract 2029 Education Series as we continue our focus on scope. The first four lessons reviewed Section 1 basics, current airline partnerships, differences between Southwest and other airline scope, and common FAQs. Those resources set the foundation for today’s discussion with negotiating chair Kurt Heidemann and EFA chairs Erich Schnitzler and Greg Auld on new fleet types and potential Section 1 impacts.
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Communications Committee Pilots Matt McCants and Tony Mulhare go over the 26 Frequently Asked Questions from the first 3 weeks of education on Section 1. From important definitions to differences in our competitors' scope language, this is a great summary that leads into our discussion of new fleet possibilities next week.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 1.1. That's the percentage of pay that Southwest will distribute in profit sharing from 2025.
So today we're sitting down with retirement guru and negotiating subject matter expert, Damian Jennette, about profit sharing, the market-based cash balance plan, and updates to our retirement accounts in 2026.
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Welcome to your Contract 2029 SEP Education series. In this first episode, Negotiating Committee Chair Kurt Heidemann will go over all areas of Section one for our Pilots.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 7/1/27, as in July 1st, 2027. That is when SWAPA has the right to early open negotiations for the next collective bargaining agreement. That may seem like a long way off, but in order to be ready for that moment, the membership must form the outline of what we are trying to achieve, and we do that through a process called Survey, Educate, and Poll.
Joining us today to walk through that process and, more importantly, your role in it, we have a negotiating Committee Chair Kurt Heidemann and President Jody Reven. By the end of this show, you'll understand how your input directly shapes what SWAPA seeks to achieve and why this process matters more than ever.
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Today's SWAPA Number is two because today we're sitting down and telling the stories of two pilots in our ranks that are some of the most powerful we've had the honor of sharing on this show.
Midway First Officer Emanuel Prince grew up on Chicago's west side in a two-bedroom apartment with his eight siblings. While most of his friends were trying to be like Mike, Prince had his heart set on being a pilot. Despite a multitude of challenges during his childhood, Prince landed an internship with McDonald's corporate flight department and never looked back. He burned the candle at both ends for years as a Southwest ground operations employee, building time when he could, but ultimately resigned from the Company to fly for several carriers before finding himself back at Southwest in January of 2024.
Baltimore First Officer Jared Savage grew up in Compton, California. He was raised by his mother and grandmother and grew up with his twin. During his senior year of high school, Jared obtained his private pilot license at the age of 18, the same year he was accepted to Tuskegee University. Unable to afford continuing his flight training, Jared worked as a lineman at Moton Field for almost a year, eventually earning enough money to complete his instrument rating. While finishing his training, he met some key figures in his life that helped him land a scholarship and proceeded to become the first flight instructor for the Red Tail Scholarship Foundation. Jared is still heavily involved with the Red Tail Flight Academy in Tuskegee, Alabama.
The road to the right seat of Southwest Airlines is never easy, but these two stories of overcoming adversity and somehow managing to give back are ones we can all learn from.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 14%. That's the amount that is recommended to ensure that you maximize your employee contributions and your catch-up contributions before your NEC caps out.
So today we're sitting down with two of our resident experts on retirement, staff members, Mike Haynes and Kevin Sheth. Mike and Kevin have a combined 44 years of experience in this world and have a lot of insight to provide on top of what we've communicated so far about the new planned features. But there's no such thing as being too smart on the retirement planning front. So let's dive into what's new in 2026.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 400. That's the number of new hires we expect on property during the first half of 2026. We're always happy to welcome new pilots to this airline, and these new hires will experience a training program that has gone through a lot of changes in the last couple of years.
So today, we're sitting down with Greg Bowen and Willie Bishop from the Training and Standards Committee to talk about the state of AQP, where training is going in 2026, and a lot about VVMI.
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The latest (and last) episode of the SWAPA Ride Report is up! To be clear, the regularly scheduled programming that is the SWAPA Number podcast will still continue. In fact, we will air our conversation with the SWAPA Training and Standards Committee on Monday, December 22. With all the procedures changes coming next month, this is one you don't want to miss.
In today's Ride Report, Communications Committee Chair Matt McCants reviews the relationship between the new Austin domicile and Domicile Right of Return (DRR). AUS is available in CWA, so take a moment to add that to your vacancy bid. He also goes over the optional and mandatory plan changes for your 401(k) in 2026. More education is coming on that front, but take a look at the 401(k) Committee's synopsis to get a feel for whether these plan changes are right for you and your family. This week's Contract Q&A focuses on key legality knowledge. What does a deadhead demote do to your contractually required rest? What could happen if you miss a RAP start? Listen in and find out.
We end the show with a sneak preview of the education that sets the stage for the Survey Educate and Poll (SEP) process, including some volunteer opportunities. If you've been looking for a way to get involved, drop us a line at comm@swapa.org and we'll plug you in. You can find this episode of the SWAPA Ride Report on the SWAPA app or your favorite streaming service under The SWAPA Number profile.
Until next time...
Fly safe, fly informed.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 10. That's the percentage of the population that suffers from substance use disorder, and pilots are not an exception to that.
So today we're talking to Tom Stanley, chair of the Human Intervention Motivation Study, or HIMS, to get an update on the work his committee does and to remind our pilots of this important resource that can save your career as a pilot at Southwest Airlines.
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In this week’s edition, SWAPA Communication Committee Member Tony Mulhare discusses the recently implemented Deadhead Self-Release functionality in CrewHub and how to set your training move up preference on either your EFB or via SWALife.
He also provides a timely reminder on where to find Holiday Pay Override information on the payroll report. This week’s Contract Q&A discusses timelines for when scheduling has to run uncovered flying through the open time process before assigning a reserve, holiday pay overrides and trip trading, a question on added flying to the end of a pairing, and more.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 112. That's the average TFP per active pilot since contract ratification in January, 2024. Even with low density schedules and low levels of reroute, the new contract pay structure has boosted the 108 average TFP historically used. In fact, we had the second highest monthly TFP ever this past July, 135 TFP average, second only to the January, 2023, immediately post-meltdown average of 139 TFP.
It's been a whirlwind on the scheduling front this year with multiple implementation lifts that have had big impacts on how pilots plan and adjust their schedules. And with almost two years of the new CBA behind us, the Company appears to have made some adjustments of their own.
So today we're across the table with our scheduling gurus, Meagan Nelan and Scott Plyler, to unpack some of the pain points, talk about some best practices, and look down the road for what's coming in 2026.
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The theme of this week’s episode is “coming soon” as Communications Committee Chair Matt McCants points to near targets for a number of new scheduling features and 401(k) Plan changes. This means deadhead self-release, reserve ELITT, and footprint protection, to name a few, along with new max deferral percentages and Roth touches on your 401(k).
The Q&A this week has some great information on holiday ELITT and deadhead release, along with what happens to your pairing code when you select Release to Check-In (RTCI). If you’re ever considering a reserve pairing trade, you’ll want to listen in on how that could affect the rest of your month-to-date utilization.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 14. That's the number of outstanding grievances that are in process relating to contract interpretations. Defending our contract is one of the biggest pillars of what we do at SWAPA when Contract Admin is on the front line of that defense. Without a doubt, there are discussions or questions just about every hour of every day that we're having about this document and how it's impacting our quality of life.
So today we're sitting down with several folks from our Contract Administration committee. That would be committee chair Dave Kudish and committee members, Rob Odom and Dan O'Connor. From how we resolve these issues with the company to the best practices to make your life easier, this is an episode you can't afford to miss.
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In this week’s edition, Committee Member Tony Mulhare discusses the runoff election for SWAPA Vice President and for the BNA & BWI Domicile Reps. He also discusses recent errors found with training preferences and RCO due to company IT changes to the VDT and reserve preference selections.
The weekly contract Q&A focuses on several reserve related questions including how Release to Check In affects Leg Change Override and monthly reserve block overlap corrections. There are also touches on expense reimbursement for Uber rides and how changing your vacancy bid can impact your expense reimbursement after being displaced.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 73. That's the current number of reciprocal agreements SWAPA has with other carriers.
So today we're sitting down with Brian Ross, chair of the Jumpseat Committee, and committee member Caitlin Bute for an update on the state of our partnerships with other carriers and the hot topics in the industry.
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n this week’s episode, Communications Committee Chair Matt McCants has some elections reminders and quick ways to vote if you haven’t cast your ballot for the Fall General Election. He also goes over how to access the options for your Southwest Airlines Medical Open Enrollment, which runs until November 5. This covers your selection of medical, dental, and vision plans along with life insurance, updating your beneficiaries, and Loss of License (LOL) taxable vs non-taxable selection. Check your company email for messages on October 16 and 23 for all the details on how to get started.
This edition also teases the big SWAPA Numbers coming up with the Contract Administration and Scheduling & Analytics Committees. If you have a question that you would like Contract Admin to address on the show, shoot them a note at CAC@swapa.orgwith “Podcast” in the subject line. Also make sure you have the latest version of the Scheduling Handbook – with all the scheduling related traffic of late, this is a great resource. The Q&A this week focuses on vacation and month-to-month overlap questions, so listen in to be ready for vacation trading when it opens on November 1 at 1200CT.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 13,561. That's the number of views the Aeromedical and Benefits committee page has received in the last 12 months. So that's roughly each Southwest pilot viewing it once per year, and as we just started open enrollment for 2025, what a better way to rehack that currency than a guided tour of that page and its contents.
This is another audio visual presentation. So for those of you listening to this intro on one of our podcast platforms, click the links in the show notes so you can see the show, much like we did a couple months ago with the 401(k) presentation. This is something you're gonna want to see as well. We're going to walk you through all the resources that live on this page, and you'll leave fully informed about your choices for 2026.
VIDEO LINK: 2025 Benefits Education
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In this week’s edition, Communications Committee Member Tony Mulhare discusses the SWAPA STD & LTD open enrollment period that begins next Monday and also points to the recent SWAPA Vice President candidate discussion that can be found on swapa.org.
He also gives a summary of upcoming implementation items like Reserve ELITT and deadhead self-release. He provides an overview of the footprint protection preference and how to select your preference to maximize pay or to protect a commute. With the holidays coming up, this episode’s Q&A focuses on the C2020 vacation touches, ELITT restrictions, overrides and how to shift vacation to get a vacation overlap drop over a holiday. As always, the show notes will point you to the applicable references in the contract.
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Today's SWAPA number is 11. That's the number of days that the SWAPA Open Enrollment period is available. That runs from October 13th to October 24th, and you have several decisions to make if you wish to change your STD and LTD elections.
So today we are sitting down with Benefits Committee member, Tony Caparella, to talk about what we've learned after 18 months of the new benefits package from Contract 2020, the open enrollment period, and some recent experiences by our pilots out on loss of license.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 1.32 million. That's the surplus amount that the 2025 budget should end the year with. And 2026 is also planned to be a surplus budget.
So today we're sitting down with SWAPA's Second Vice President, Hank Ketchum, Internal Audit Committee Chair Andrew Rose and Finance Director Nia Williams to get an update on how we will finish 2025 and also give the membership some insight into the 2026 budget, which is up for our membership vote this fall.
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In this week’s episode, Communications Committee Chair Matt McCants previews what’s coming on the Fall General Election ballot. With nominations closing September 29th, he covers the process for submitting forms, the publication of the candidate list, and release of the full 2026 budget book alongside a budget-focused podcast. Members will also find details on the Constitution Modernization proposal and resources to help navigate the changes.
This edition also highlights key dates for the upcoming open enrollment, including education resources from the Benefits Committee that are on the horizon. This week’s Contract Admin questions cover cancelled flights scenarios, POT before reserve, and understanding month-to-month vacation pay.
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In this week’s edition, Casey Casteel from SWAPA Communications discusses implementation of Reserve VDT in CWA and how the Reserve Preferences page has changed. She gives a rundown of Reserve VDT provisions as well as some of the initial limitations with OTA and text bidding.
Casey also reminds our listeners that the first round of 2026 Vacation Bidding is open and will close on 14 September. Contract Admin Q&A topics for this week include what happens to a reserve assigned pairing if it becomes uncovered again, a request for a partial pairing Extra Fly, a pairing pull without pay for passport renewal, and a month to month overlap rig pay question.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 14. That's the number of articles in the SWAPA constitution, all of which will have proposed changes as part of a constitution modernization effort, appearing on the ballot in the fall general election.
So today we're sitting down with Baltimore Chair, Mike Santoro, and Phoenix Chair, Kevin Reese, to go over the proposed changes to the SWAPA constitution that the membership will vote on in this fall's general election. While a CBA is the governing document that most of our pilots are familiar with, the constitution carries just as much importance with how SWAPA conducts its business. This is an important vote for the future, so let's explain what the proposed changes are and why.
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In this week's SWAPA Ride Report, Communications Committee member Tony Mulhare discusses the company request for a contract reopener as they consider adding Far Interntational routes as well as the new interline agreement with Eva Air. Need a refresher on PDEW, listen for the basics or watch the video linked in the notes. He corrects some rumors about GDO usage, and gives a reminder about the 1 September start of vacation bidding. This week's Contract Admin Q&A covers how vacation pays out for retiring pilots, how to handle a call from scheduling during the rest period prior to a RAP, how being displaced affects vacation bidding and more.
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Today's SWAPA number is, six. That's the percent acceleration in RASM or revenue per available seat mile in the fourth quarter that was implied during the second quarter earnings call for Southwest Airlines. Now, that's looking down the road, but a lot has happened in the recent past for both the company and the industry as a whole. It's been continuous light chop during 2025 with impacts from the supply chain, trade agreements, and capacity growths. These effects haven't just been felt Southwest, but on the industry worldwide.
So, today we're sitting down with our resident experts in this arena. Joining us are Erich Schnitzler and Greg Auld from the SWAPA Economic and Financial Analysis Committee and Second Vice President, Hank Ketchum. Let's take a look back at what's transpired, both at the company and industry at large, what's happening now, and what we can expect for the remainder of the year.
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In this week’s show, Communications Committee Chair Matt McCants goes over the data from Contract AI’s initial launch week and some best practices on how to use it. The SAC always has some news to share, and this week we look at the effects of the cut backs in the schedule along with the long view on implementation measures coming in the next quarter. With all things scheduling comes pay discussion, so listen in to review all the different audit tools at work that ensure your pay is accurate.
September is full of governance events, so get the details on Constitution Modernization, the pro-con discussion of potential BOD restructuring, upcoming membership polling, and the Fall General Elections in this week’s episode. The standard Contract Q&A rounds out a week full of info you’ll want to review.
You can find this episode of the SWAPA Ride Report on the SWAPA app or your favorite streaming service under The SWAPA Number profile. As always, the full transcript is available in the show notes. Our next episode drops Friday, August 29. Questions or feedback? Drop us a line at comm@swapa.org.
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Today’s SWAPA Number is 401 as in 401(k). But this episode isn’t a podcast, it’s an audio visual presentation. While some may be able to follow the myriad of numbers that come with a retirement discussion, a picture paints a thousand words. So 401(k) Committee Chair Andrew Payne alongside Committee Members Brian August and Damian Jennette have prepared a soup to nuts presentation to walk us through everything you need to know about your retirement accounts. We work our whole career to retire the way we want to, so head on over to the 401(k) page and check out this presentation and get smart on all things 401(k).
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In this week’s edition, Communications Committee Member Tony Mulhare makes a pitch to the membership to use the SWAPA Pay Audit tool on the website or the app instead of calling Contract Admin first, allowing them to focus on high priority contract compliance issues.
He also plugs the new red-eye filter selection in the Trip Trade/Give Away Inventory Tool as well as previews that filter’s addition to LineTuner. Fall schedule adjustments hit sooner this year than they have historically, and he talks about the impact to commuters and the open time inventory. Finally, Contract Admin questions of the week touch on red-eye rest rule requirements, fatigue call pay, and release to check in and how it relates to monthly utilization.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 721. That's the number of cases your critical incident response team, or CIRT, fielded in 2024. Now, that's a lot. Almost to a day, but they range in subject matters when it comes to what happened to trigger a call to CIRT, from incidents in the aircraft to traumatic incidents at home.
So today we're sitting down with CIRT chairman, Captain Dave West. Dave has been our chair for six years now, and while you may never have received a call from his team or called them, what they have to offer might surprise you.
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In this week’s show, Communications Committee Chair Matt McCants walks the membership through the upcoming opportunity to transfer your Profit Sharing Account at Empower to the Southwest Airlines Pilots Retirement Savings Plan at Schwab. He also teases the upcoming 401(k) production coming in early August – from how your retirement dollars flow to frequently asked questions that the committee receives, be on the lookout for this evergreen resource in the coming weeks.
He also talks about the multiple projects that the SAC is handling, including the feedback and guidance we give to the Company with line and pairing quality. The Contract Q&A this week covers LCO on reserve, picking up flying over non-fly bars, and travel before CQ training. There’s also a great question about rest between duty period legality. You’ll want to hear the details on this one- you might have more room to move your schedule around.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 42. That's how many events SWAPAfamily has held over the last 10 years. So on today's show we talked to Outreach Chair Jean Peck and committee member Caitlin Bute about the genesis for the committee, what's on the immediate horizon, and what are the goals for the future.
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In this week’s edition, Communications Committee Member Tony Mulhare takes the membership through the connection between the Reserve Proffer Process and Premium Before Reserve.
He also gives an update on the addition of the SWAPA Pay Audit Tool to the SWAPA app and covers several questions Contract Admin fielded about Golden Days Off, Late Return Override, Domicile Right of Return, Holiday Override pay for deadhead only duty periods, and how to update your medical on your EFB.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 11. That's the number of pilots we've lost to suicide since 2019. And while that's not an easy thing to say out loud, ignoring it won't make the number smaller. Mental health just isn't at the forefront of the greater national healthcare conversation. It's an ongoing discussion in the aviation community as well.
So today we're sitting down with Project LIFT chair, Captain Ty Dimeff. LIFT, which stands for Life Incident Family Team, provides peer-to-peer support for SWAPA pilots and their families. There's a lot to cover when it comes to mental health and wellness and unfortunately there's several stigmas surrounding it. Let's hear from Ty on how to break those stigmas down and discuss ways to stay mentally fit to fly.
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In this week’s show, Communications Director Amy Robinson hits the high points of new scheduling features like Open Time Priority (OTP) self service, the upcoming ability to participate in Reserve Voluntary Double Time (VDT), and ELITT across bid periods. She also points to the Schwab Retirement Savings Plan brochure, and gives some quick tips from Professional Standards on staying cool in and out of the jet as we enter the summer months.
A lot of pilots have been participating in Reserve Release to Check In (RTCI) and this week’s Q&A has some excellent examples of when you may (or may not) want to utilize this C2020 gain. Listen in so you can make the right call!
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Today's SWAPA number is 49-114. That's the section of US Code that guides the operations of the TSA. Today, we are sitting down with Brian Hagedorn and John Nolan from the Security and Cockpit Defense Committee to talk about upcoming changes to the TSA screening process for flight crew, as well as an update for our Federal Flight Deck Officers, or FFDOs.
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In this week’s extended episode, Communications Committee Chair Matt McCants explains the new expectations for red-eye pairings when it comes to QOL TR pulls during a CQT month. He also goes deep on all things vacation shifting and how shifts have performed since being implemented last year. What is the average increase in pay per pilot vacation week? How does shifting put a new spin on month to month vacation weeks? Maybe there’s TFP on the table for you to pick up.
He also adds key context and backstory to the announcement of the China Airlines partnership. What’s changed behind the scenes to finally kick airline partnerships into gear? What’s the connection between your CBA’s Section 1 language and the Company’s push for low-cost revenue? And most importantly, what does this mean to you as a Southwest Pilot? Listen in and find out.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 537. That's the number of pilots that have used Release to Check-in since it was implemented on April 1st. So today we are sitting down with Scott Plyler and Meagan Nelan from the Scheduling and Analytics committee to discuss recently implemented items, the upcoming implementation schedule and how that's going, along with a look at some other scheduling hot topics.
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In this week’s episode, Communications Committee Chair Matt McCants points back to highlights in the bevvy of information we covered in the BOD meeting recap and teases the upcoming deep dive with the SAC. Also in this episode: a heads-up on the SWAPA Constitution modernization, and a call to action for those interested in serving as a representative in this fall’s elections—these reps will help shape the platform for our next contract.
What happens if your flight is delayed while on your overnight—can you stay at the hotel longer? Does it affect your pay? Is an early call from Scheduling during a delay an interruption of rest? What’s the difference between LIMO-only duty periods and CX pairings? The answers to these questions and more are in this week’s Contract Q&A.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 1200. That's the number of cases that Professional Standards has worked in the last 12 months. That's about 100 per month or about three a day. Those are high numbers and well within our control, but we'd much rather see that number of cases go here than over to company channels.
So today we sit down for our annual chat with Professional Standards chair, Captain Jon Ross, to update the membership on a must-listen episode about how pilots need to be as familiar with Professional Standards as they are with any other part of the Company or SWAPA.
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In this week’s edition, Captain Tony Mulhare takes the membership through some recently implemented contract touches, updates to the automated release to check in process as well as SWAPA pay audit improvements.
He also does a deep dive into the DRR process and vacancy bidding and why senior pilots are placed into a base when there are more junior pilots with Domicile Right of Return. Contract Admin’s commonly asked questions this week cover the vacancy process, how pay multiples apply to duty period rigs versus trip rigs, and a question concerning holiday override pay.
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Today's SWAPA number is 70. That's the number of projects IT is currently overseeing that will come to fruition in 2025. Some of these projects are happening behind the scenes, but still bring value and security to the organization and others like contract AI will be very pilot facing.
So on today's episode, we sat down with Information Technology chair Will Young, IT committee member Thomas Lowery and IT director Leigh Sperberg to talk about what is on the docket for this year as well as in the future.
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In this week’s edition, Communications Committee Chair Matt McCants breaks down all the scheduling headlines you’ve seen in the past few weeks. From ELITT Direct Drop/Direct Pickup data to the “why” behind line quality, listen in to learn more after you make sure you have the latest version of the Scheduling Handbook. He also points to the Aviation Medical Advisory Service (AMAS) links on the SWAPA Benefits page, and what to do if you are having claims issues or returning from a leave of absence.
The Contract Q&A this week stems from the recent scheduling updates. What are your deadhead and TTGA options while on RTCI? How does your bid category come into play with ELITT Direct Drop and Direct Pickup? What is the recommended way to respond to a missed call from scheduling while on reserve and why? Tune in to find out.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 175. That's the number of hours associated with being a new first officer at Southwest Airlines, which is the change from the 100 hours we previously used. The restrictions as part of being a new first officer is part of a comprehensive change in training and standards that both SWAPA and the Company are committed to, and we're seeing that in a number of places.
We've seen a lot of forward-facing news on the training front in the last 12 months, and even more internal activity as the airline undergoes a shakeup top to bottom. From CHEP inspections to op stay, SWAPA has had some collaboration with the Company on these events and processes. Today we're sitting down the SWAPA Training and Standards Chair Greg Bowen to get the inside baseball on what's transpired and what's to come.
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In this week’s edition, Communications Manager Casey Casteel takes the membership through the latest contract implementation item: ELITT direct drop and pick up and a few highlights for using that new tool.
Casey gives a recap of the latest news on the Market Based Cash Balance Plan, and an update from the settlement of grievance 2024-004. Contract Q&A this week covers several questions concerning LRO vs LCO and future implementation of unscheduled overnights not counting toward the CAP. She wraps up this week’s podcast with questions on trading a reserve-assigned pairing after selecting Release Until Check In and a question about pay for DOT testing at the end of a pairing.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 13. That's the number of pilots on staff at SWAPA Safety. This includes investigations, the Aviation Safety Action Program or ASAP and Air Traffic Services to name a few. Safety covers a lot of topics and is at the core of what we do on every flight. So today we're sitting down with SWAPA Safety chair, Gary Niemann and SWAPA investigation specialist, Craig Jakubowski to talk all things flight safety.
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In this week’s edition, Multimedia Manager Jason Davis, from the SWAPA Communications staff, discusses the settlement of grievance 2024-004, latest vacancy results and the additional displacements that resulted, and the move up of implementation for 100% Domicile Right of Return (DRR).
Jason also updates the membership on the roll out of Reserve Release Until Check In and the temporary manual work around due to automation difficulties. He closes with a Q&A section from Contract Admin, including questions on deadhead versus must-ride travel, open time trips in Trip Trade/Give Away, and release from deadhead while still on a Reserve duty period.
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Today's SWAPA number is 1.1. That's the percentage of pay that Southwest will distribute in profit sharing from 2024.
So today, we're sitting down to talk with NC member and retirement and benefits subject matter expert Damian Jennette, and 401(k) and investments director Mike Haynes about profit sharing and updates on other items that affect pilot retirement accounts in 2025.
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In this week’s scheduling-centric edition, SWAPA Communications staff member Alexis Thomas updates the membership on all things displacements and Domicile Right of Return for the May vacancy. There are a lot of moving parts here, so take a listen to understand the options on the table and continue to reference the Displacement Resources page.
She also gives the membership a status update on Release Until Check In, ELITT enhancements like direct drop and direct pickup, separate bid lines, and the shift in east coast RAPs. The Contract Q&A also has scheduling touches that the most senior captains and junior first officers will likely see.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 18. That's the number of SWAPA presidents that we've had since SWAPA's inception in 1978. So in today's episode, we sat down with SWAPA President, Jody Reven. With the first board meeting of the year in the rear view mirror, and a lot of Company news of late, it's time to look down the road and see what's in store for SWAPA in 2025.
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In this week’s edition, SWAPA Communications staff member Ella Ziober updates the membership on the displacements that resulted from the April vacancy and important eligibility requirements for having Domicile Right of Return (DRR). There are currently 141 Pilots across the system in both seats who have a DRR.
She also highlights a few points from our Benefits & Aeromedical Committee and Government Affairs Committee, including the recent FAA decision to indefinitely delay the implementation of denial letters for airmen required to submit for information on a medical certificate application. She quickly touches on the first meetings between SWAPA and the Company on its partnership with Icelandair before diving into this week’s top five questions from Contract Admin. This week’s Q&A includes questions about pay on vacation month-to-month overlap, training travel pay, and JA versus an unscheduled overnight. The podcast notes provide links to the relevant sections of the Contract and the Scheduling Handbook for easy reference.
Displacement Resources page
Airline Partnerships - Section 1 video
Section 15.C.7.b.5 - Hotel Accommodations
Section 2.T - Vacation Pay
Scheduling Handbook
Section 2.K.3 - On-line Scheduled Pay
Section 14.E - Vacation Adjustments
Section 9.K.4.m - Monthly Overlap Correction
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In this week’s edition, Communications Committee Chair Matt McCants summarizes this week’s Board of Directors meetings. From the Scheduling & Analytics Committee highlights to the Q&A session with Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan, this episode covers all the briefings that your domicile representatives received.
Your Board of Directors will have more details on these briefings, including links to useful resources on the material presented. Be on the lookout for their email!
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Today's SWAPA number is 86%. That's the percentage of pilots who open each email SWAPA sends out to the membership, but that doesn't tell the whole story. There's a lot of data that we gather on the comm channels, and now's a good time to dive into those numbers and what they mean.
Today we're joined by American Airlines Captain Andrea Hoover, Communications chair at the Allied Pilots Association, along with our own Communications director, Amy Robinson, to compare some notes on comm data, talk about what's working, and what we can improve on in 2025.
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In this week’s edition, Captain Tony Mulhare points to resources for recently displaced pilots that have been produced by the Scheduling Analytics Committee, how to find your Open Time Priority Range in CWA, and newly implemented limitations on RAP changes.
He also covers several high frequency questions fielded by our Contract Admin staff this week on topics including Domicile Right of Return (DRR), POT before Reserve, and the upcoming end of eligibility for paid moves to Nashville.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 5. That's the number of US National Aerobatics Championships that Kirby Chambliss has earned, along with 13 medals at the World Aerobatic Championships and two season championships in the Red Bull Racing series. So today, we are sitting down on location with Kirby in his Chandler, Arizona hangar to talk about his life in an airplane, his passion for inspiring the next generation, and what comes next.
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In this week’s episode, Communications Committee Chair Matt McCants describes the technology maintenance and timeline, pointing to January’s RP for more details on what SWAPA IT does for the membership. If you’re thinking of flying red-eye pairings, you’ll want to hear how the ELITT mechanics work for now, and everyone should listen in for the quick reminders from Professional Standards. The Contract Q&A this week covers a lot of ground from minimum rest legalities to what you’ll be paid if an additional duty is added to the end of your assignment…and then cancels.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 2. That's the number of pilots that belong on the flight deck. Your Government Affairs Committee is actively engaged on Capitol Hill, informing and educating Congress on this issue along with many others that affect our careers as airline pilots.
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In this week’s edition, Communications Committee member Tony Mulhare discusses the annual increase to pay rates, per diem, and flight physical reimbursements. He also reminds pilots that your uniform allotment is tied to your anniversary date, not the new year.
He also gives a recap of the several top questions that contract admin fielded in 2024 including what happens to GTO if you arrange to stay at the hotel when your first flight of the day is delayed, a question on monthly overlap rules and how they apply to reserve blocks, and finally how LCO works when you weather divert.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 1,460. That's the total number of days that Casey Murray will have been in office when his presidency comes to a close on December 31st. So, to close the year out, we sat down with Casey to put a bow on his terms as president and life at SWAPA. We'll contrast what the organization looked like when he started and what it will be as we look into the future.
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In this week’s edition, Matt McCants from the Communications Committee teases the multiple scheduling implementation items coming in early 2025. From Release to Check-In to ELITT enhancements, all Pilots should be aware of how the Q1 and Q2 schedules could be affected by the upcoming changes. There’s also a quick tip on how to access the last 10 emails on the SWAPA App, and the Contract Administration Q&A covers several popular scheduling topics like short notice reserve assignments, and how to properly use Training Golden Days Off (TGDOs).
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In this week’s edition, Captain Tony Mulhare discusses where to find Holiday Override Pay, particularly over the New Year that could span two months. He also covers highlights of questions fielded by your Contract Admin staff this week including error pay for two pilots awarded the same leg, when scheduling might extend your duty period due to hotel transportation delays, and an important difference in planned vs executed minimum connection times.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 200. That's the number of pilots currently in monitoring of the HIMS program at Southwest Airlines. Today, we're sitting down with the HIMS Committee chair, Tom Stanley, to talk about all things the HIMS Committee is engaged in and some of the great success stories of the program. Now, maybe you don't feel like you need to know about this program, but mutual support has always been a part of flying, so let's dive in and talk about an important resource to SWAPA Pilots.
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The latest episode of the SWAPA Ride Report is now available!
In this week’s edition, Matt McCants from the Communications Committee goes over the multiple scheduling touches that are on deck in the next several quarters. He also speaks to the Joint Implementation Committee’s progress on Side Letter 2. The Contract Administration Q&A also covers several popular scheduling topics like the 12-hour RAP, short notice open time (SNOT) awards, and the mysterious vacation week disappearances some members have seen in CWA. He also plugs the new SWAPA App, which became available on Wednesday and is already being used by over a third of the Pilots.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 8. That's the number of new faces that have joined the Southwest Airlines Board of Directors since Elliot announced its investment in June with five Elliot nominees being seated as part of a comprehensive agreement between the Company and Elliot Investment Management. This was the final announcement in a slew of headlines over the last several weeks that included the Company's third quarter financials as well as the investor day in late September.
So on today's show we spoke with Greg Auld and Eric Schnitzler from the Economic and Financial Analysis Committee and second VP Hank Ketchum about these events and to take a look at what's on the horizon for the industry as well as what all this means for the membership.
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In this week’s edition, Communications Manager Casey Casteel takes the membership through the new duty limits and connections requirement that went into effect this week. She also reminds Pilots that schedule changes due to the reduction in services at Florida airports may drive Leg Change Override, even if those changes happen prior to your reporting in for the pairing.
Finally, she walks our Pilots through several questions that Contract Admin has dealt with recently, including month-to-month reserve block overlap, marketing timing adjustments, as well as release from deadhead only on a holiday.
You can find this episode of the SWAPA Ride Report, as well as the rest of the season, on swapa.org under Communications > Podcasts or on your favorite streaming service under The SWAPA Number profile. As always, the full transcript is available online as well. The next edition of the SWAPA Ride Report will drop on November 22nd.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 10. That's the number of panels featured during this year's International Conference of Pilot Unions. Subject matter experts from Wall Street, the FAA, and four pilot association representatives were in attendance alongside SWAPA teams, as we not only addressed common issues in the industry, but the proposed solutions and way forward.
Also joining us were president of the Allied Pilots Association, Nick Silva, NETJETS Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots, Vice President, Paulette Gilbert, President Yngve Paulsen of Local 2750 of the International Aviation Professionals, and SWAPA president Casey Murray. We sat down with them for a frank discussion about why independent unions are so important, how and why we collaborate, and what is on the horizon for the industry at large.
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In this week’s edition, Matt McCants from the Communications Committee gives a recap of this past week’s events at the International Conference of Pilot Unions and the coming comm products from the panels you may have seen on social media. This will include a SWAPA Number episode featuring multiple pilot union presidents, and an article we will release next week.
There is also some gouge on the scheduling changes you’ll see starting in November, as well as some quick reminders about OPS day and your Training Golden Days Off (TGDOs). The contract Q&A this week covers flight cancellations during a commute, inconvenient van times, and some reminders about blank line bidding and Golden Days Off (GDOs).
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Today's SWAPA Number is 163,649. That's the number of CAS events or times the jumpseat was utilized on Southwest aircraft just by Southwest Pilots in the last 12 months. That's almost 450 per day, illustrating just how highly utilized of a resource our jumpsuit is. Jumpseating will always be a part of being a SWAPA pilot. So today we're sitting down with Jumpseat Committee chair, Captain Brian Ross, for a 360 degree view of the jumpsuit world and what you need to know moving forward.
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In this week’s edition, Communications Assistant Editor Alexis Thomas takes the membership through several highlights regarding open enrollment and the 2024 Fall General Election.
She also gives a recap of the latest Contract Admin hot topics, including “Premium before Reserve” bidding, what happens if you call Crew Scheduling back after your 15-minute callback time is up, and commuter rules for waived deadheads that start a pairing.
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Today's SWAPA Number is three. That's the number of avenues that SWAPA has pursued between CBA cycles to address issues that inevitably arise in membership business with the Company. These agreements of the association are brought forward when there is a need for corrective action or clarification, and they are highly dependent on the condition of the events. Whether these are letters of agreement, memorandums of understanding, or side letters, the breadth and depth of these issues can dictate the options on the table.
We've already seen some examples of these things happening since Contract 2020 was ratified. So today we're talking with Negotiating Committee chair Jody Reven, and NC member, Kurt Heidemann, about what these different agreements are, how their mechanisms work, and why these processes are an important part of how SWAPA does business.
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In this week’s edition, Communications Committee member Matt McCants takes the membership around the big take aways following last week’s SWAPA Board of Directors meetings. From Aeromedical/Benefits and Safety information, to scheduling tips and where all the 2025 budget resources live, you’ll be up to speed on what’s happening across the committees.
In the Q&A section, topics include reserve credit for canceled assignments, fatigue call policies, vacation shifts around holidays, LDO triggers, and ETOPS recurrent training requirements. Good questions from unique situations out on the line continue to come in.
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Today's SWAPA number is $37 million. That's the total proposed operating expenses in the budget for 2025. SWAPA pilots will have an opportunity to vote on the budget in the upcoming fall general election. So on today's show we talk to SWAPA second vice President, Hank Ketchum, and our SWAPA Director of Finance, Brian Hickman about all things finance.
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In this week’s edition, Communications Committee member Tony Mulhare discusses some vacation accrual errors that have been made for Pilots out on a medical leave of absence and how to check that the numbers in CWA are correct. Round 1 of vacation bidding closes tomorrow, so time is of the essence.
He also recaps several questions that were fielded by Contract Admin this week, including how LCO works with a diversion as well as a move-up. There is also a great question regarding a jetway trade to training, a pro tip on vacation shifting into holiday weeks, and a reminder to all probationary Pilots that second-year pay language for OT is now in effect.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 86. That's the percentage of Contract 2020 provisions that will be implemented by the end of the third quarter of 2024. That said, the remaining 14 percent includes some very big ticket items like a training bid, major changes to ELITT, and a new vacation bidding process. So on today's show, we're going to talk to Scheduling and Analytics Manager Meagan Nelan, new SAC member Eric Gavin and SAC Chair Scott Plyler about where Contract 2020 scheduling implementation stands now, what has been accomplished so far and what's coming over the next year.
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In this week’s edition, Captain Matt McCants takes the membership through the high points of the latest update to the Annotated CBA. This revision touches on a lot of sections, so be sure to download the latest version to your mobile device.
He also gives a recap of the latest IT summit between the Scheduling and Analytics Committee and the Company team. Take a listen to find out what percentage of duty periods were already executed within the lower duty limit restrictions this year. The answer might surprise you. With vacation bidding coming up, this episode’s Q&A focuses on the C2020 vacation touches, and what to look forward to down the road. The show notes will point you to even more vacation bidding resources, like the TA education podcast and August RP article.
LINKS:
Annotated CBA
Vacation Bidding - Section 14 | Contract 2020 TA Education
Vacation Bidding for 2025
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Today's SWAPA Number is 153. That's the number of emails, education materials, videos, and podcasts you've received from SWAPA in 2024 so far. And each one has passed through the Communications Committee before you saw or heard it.
So today's podcast is about exactly that. We're sitting down with Communications Chair, Mike Panebianco and Communications Director, Amy Robinson, to talk about all the different areas the Communications Committee works in, what we're doing to improve those products and what you can expect down the road.
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This week, Communications Committee member Tony Mulhare takes a deep dive into how your sick bank and vacation accrual are related if you were to go out on disability and the importance of making sure you don’t get awarded a line for a month that you won’t fly in (unless you have vacation, of course).
He also discusses LRO and the SWA Payroll audit process, a question about repositions, and a question about when a reserve pilot can be assigned a pairing instead of using a premium open time bidder.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 6,529. That's the number of our pilots who are qualified to participate in this year's profit sharing transfer. A new provision in Contract 2020 allows pilots a one-time transfer of their profit sharing balances into the top ranked SWAPA 401(k) plan. Since it's a one-time benefit, it's important that our pilots understand the process and the details that could trip them up. So today on the show, we're going to talk with 401(k) committee chair, Drew Payne, and 401(k) director, Mike Haynes, about the transfer window, the process, and whether or not this year's transfer is the right time for you.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 4. That's the number of different generations in Southwest cockpits on any given day around the system. Today we're sitting down with Jon Ross, Chair of the Professional Standards Committee, to talk about how we can keep conflict resolution at the lowest level and safety at the highest.
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This week, Communications Committee member Tony Mulhare updates the membership on the Market Based Cash Balance Plan as well as the upcoming transfer window from Empower to Schwab accounts. He also continues the deep dive into vacation shifts and the timing required for those shifts. Several pilot questions about Legal Duty, Ground Transportation in lieu of a double deadhead as well as a recurring question on LRO vs LCO are also discussed.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 15. That is the size of the expanded Southwest Airlines Board of Directors, Now that Rakesh Gangwal, a familiar name to those in our ranks with US Air history was added to the board.
Two weeks ago, we released a SWAPA Number podcast about Elliot Investment Management's initial 12% equity position in Southwest. But it's been a busy couple of weeks with several headlines, so today, we're back in the studio with SWAPA President Casey Murray, 2nd Vice President, Hank Ketchum, as well as Economic and Financial Analysis Committee Chair, Erich Schnitzler to continue our discussions on the latest developments.
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This week, Captain Matt McCants tells the membership what to look forward to during third quarter implementation. The landscape of the duty day will look different whether you are on reserve or a line holder, so listen in to hear the details and timelines with the coming changes. He also does a deep dive into vacation shifts. From how much more TFP pilots have seen so far, changes in the blank lines, and multiple secondary advantages that are built into a shift, pilots of all seniority types can benefit from this C2020 addition. Boost your SA on the perks of vacation shifting and catch up on the latest Q&A from the Contract Administration Committee in this extended edition of the show.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 12. That's the approximate percentage of Southwest Airlines shares that Elliott Investment Management took hold of in early June, challenging the leadership landscape of the company and bringing some uncertainty as to what the future of the airline holds.
Today we're sitting down with your SWAPA executive officers, along with economics and financial analysis chair, Erich Schnitzler, to discuss what's transpired since then, address some of the questions from the membership, and set some expectations for the future given this unprecedented event.
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This week, guest host Ella Ziober reviews the most recent versions of the CBA source documents as we near the end of the second quarter. With Q3 around the corner, take a listen to hear about the mountain of IT work being done for the next phase of implementation.
The Q&A has something for everyone this week. Whether you’re contemplating a Nashville move, have some reserve scheduling questions, or just need a recap on overrides and their differences, make sure you tune in to re-hack those currencies.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 26. That's 26 fatigue calls per 10,000 duty periods, which is our current fatigue rate. That's less than half of what it was a year ago and one of the lowest since the start of the pandemic. So today on the show, we're going to talk with SWAPA Safety and FSAC member Scott Hutchinson about recent fatigue trends, what's new in Contract 2020, and what our pilots can do to help manage the process.
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This week, guest host Alexis Thomas reviews the recent Empower accounts merger, and points to all the resources that Pilots have at their disposal when the ability to move funds to the Schwab 401k becomes available.
It was a big tech week for SWAPA as the Scheduling and Analytics Committee presented at the Flight Ops IT kickoff, and the revamped SWAPA App reached several key milestones. Tune in to find out how the Company and SAC collaboration is shaping up, and what's coming your way as new app functionality moves into the testing phase.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 16. That's the section of the contract that covers hotel standards. So on today's episode, we spoke to Hotels SME, Seth Kornblum, about the Crew Accommodations Board, hotel language, and some of the issues that have arisen since the ratification of the CBA.
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This week, Casey Casteel from SWAPA Communications discusses upcoming implementation items like the training elections form that will go live soon as well as several items that were clarified or added in Side Letter One to the CBA, including open time pay multiples, open time alert timelines, and document-based training.
If you’ve ever had a question on how day rooms and Ground Time Override interplay, you’ll want to listen for Casey’s detailed discussion for an explanation on how that issue differs from a delayed reporting situation.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 4,200. That's how many Southwest pilots will retire by 2035. We may have stopped hiring for now, but those 4,200 pilots will need to be replaced and trained. Today we'll be talking with SWAPA President, Captain Casey Murray, and Training and Standards Committee Chair, Captain Greg Bowen, about how things are going in the training environment, what can be better, and what's around the corner.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 17.A.2. That's the section of our new CBA that deals with VPTO, or Voluntary Paid Time Off.
On this special episode of The SWAPA Number, we are welcoming NC Chair Jody Reven, EFA Committee Chair Erich Schnitzler, Committee Member Greg Auld, and Scheduling Research Committee Chair, Scott Plyler, to discuss a voluntary paid time off program being offered to the membership by Southwest Airlines.
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This week, host Captain Matt McCants gives us the high points of the newly released Scheduling Handbook – a must have in a Pilot’s tool box to resume own navigation through the new CBA. He also covers how much error pay and fixed audit pay have been recovered by SWAPA since date of ratification.
The Q&A this week has topics ranging from online legality changes to some great techniques to maximize your opportunities in Open Time Priority and Vacation Overlap. How can you boost your TFP? Take a listen and find out.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 231 million. That's the net loss for Southwest Airlines in the first quarter of 2024. Today, we're sitting down with Eric Schnitzler and Greg Auld of the Economic and Financial Analysis Committee to shed some light on the industry as a whole, as well as the financial outlook of Southwest Airlines, given some recent events.
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This week, guest host and Communications Director Amy Robinson walks us through the newest expansion of Trip Trade Giveaway and ELITT. If you’ve ever wanted to pick up or trade with the company over a non-fly or vacation event, you’ll want to listen in and understand how that works.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 4,452. That's the peak number of flights per day in the revised June schedule. That's just over 6% more than last year. So today we're going to speak with SRC supervisor, Meagan Nealon, SRC committee member, Dan O'Connor and SRC Chair, Scott Plyler about where the network schedule stands for the summer season, as well as discuss what's upcoming as far as implementation.
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This week, host First Officer Tony Mulhare from SWAPA Communications discusses a potential shift in position by the Company regarding early morning crew meals. This week's Contract Admin Q&A covers several topics, including bereavement leave and why overfly credit can sometimes be absorbed by daily rigs.
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This week, host Captain Matt McCants from SWAPA Communications outlines the next high points in April’s implementation schedule. He also plugs the upcoming SWAPA polling event, and gives the membership a look into active debates, including a grievance between SWAPA and the Company.
If you have been part of an online reroute, you’ll want to listen in to this week’s Q&A, which covers a number of common and some not-so-common reroute scenarios, as well as how overrides come into play with the Junior Assigned (JA) process. These questions and answers should let you know what to expect the next time you have a change on your board.
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In this episode, host First Officer Tony Mulhare from SWAPA Communications discusses frequently asked questions about STD and LTD and the special open enrollment period, which closes April 12.
He gives an update on implementation items for April, including sick trip accrual and the reduction in the ELITT Umbra, otherwise known as the gray bar, and covers several questions from our Contract Adminteam regarding special qualifications and Ground Time Override.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 134. That's the number of cases that the Critical Incident Response Team, which we refer to as CIRT, has handled in 2024 alone. Today we're going to talk to SWAPA CIRT Chair, Captain Dave West, about what his team does and how you might interact with CIRT during your time here at Southwest.
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As we wrap up Contract 2020, frequent friend of the show, Damian Jennette, will give us some highlights including some never before heard clips that will give you, our listeners, some insight into the process it takes to bring you information directly from the source- our SWAPA subject matter experts and leaders - throughout this last year.
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In this episode, host Captain Matt McCants from SWAPA Communications discusses the three education products available to Pilots that explain changes in the new Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Plans, and the actions Pilots may need to take.
He also covers some very common scheduling and pay scenarios, along with some great Q&As that Contract Administration has fielded from the line. If you're considering ELITT for a trip that falls on April 1, you'll want to listen to this week's edition.
You can find this episode of The SWAPA Ride Report, as well as the rest of the season, on swapa.org under Communications > Podcasts or on your favorite streaming services under The SWAPA Number profile. Check back every Friday for the next edition of The SWAPA Ride Report.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 50%. That's the percentage of monthly base earnings a SWAPA pilot will receive while on disability under our new contract. That benefit begins 60 days and lasts until FAA retirement age, if necessary. This major improvement from our old LOL plan was a key pillar of Contract 2020, but that begs the question, do we even need a SWAPA disability plan anymore?
So today on the show we're talking with frequent guest and NC member Damian Jennette, along with Benefits chair Brent Weisner, who will tell us all about the new SWAPA STD and LTD plans, how they work with the new Southwest LOL plan, and what our pilots need to know as we get ready for the special open enrollment period coming up in April.
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In this episode, host First Officer Tony Mulhare from SWAPA Communications discusses the upcoming open enrollment period for the newly negotiated MetLife disability plans and some associated questions.
He also goes over several unique Contract scenarios, including ones pertaining to split-to-cover reserve assignments, the SWAPA Pay Audit tool, and Ground Time Overrides.
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In this episode, host Captain Matt McCants from SWAPA Communications discusses the road ahead for the new disability plans and the education that will help inform pilots about the changes.
He also answers several unique contract questions, including ones with March scheduling and pay provisions. With Spring Break flying ramping up, you won’t want to miss this week’s content.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 12. That's how many domiciles Southwest will have once we open Nashville in May of this year. So on today's show, we're going to talk with SRC chair Scott Plyler and SRC member Dan O'Connor about what that means for our pilots and our network. Amy's out sick today so joining me as host is the third member of SRC 3, Meagan Nelan.
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This is the SWAPA Ride Report for Friday, March 8th, 2024.
In this episode, host First Officer Tony Mulhare from SWAPA Communications discusses some common questions about Ground Time Override and how to find overrides on your payroll report.
Tony also provides a brief update on the current open enrollment period for the company provided life insurance benefit as well as some frequently asked questions regarding uniform accounts and per diem.
Check back every Friday for the next edition of The SWAPA Ride Report.
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This is the SWAPA Ride Report for Friday, March 1st, 2024.
In this episode, host Captain Matt McCants from SWAPA Communications discusses some common concerns about the short-term and long-term disability plans on the horizon.
Matt also provides a brief update on what can be expected in the new versions of the Annotated CBA, the big-ticket scheduling items being implemented in March, how to shift vacation block bids, and some guidance on the preboarding policy while on deadhead duty.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 1.5%. That's the 2023 profit sharing percentage that Southwest will be paying its employees this year. So today on the show, we're going to talk with NC member Damian Jennette about how that number was derived, how it compares to the industry, and how it fits into our pilot's retirement planning.
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This is the SWAPA Ride Report for Friday, February 23rd, 2024.
The SWAPA Ride Report is your source for headlines, updates, and answers to frequently asked questions regarding your new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
This week we answer some frequently asked questions from Benefits, Retirement, Contract Admin and SRC.
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Introducing: The SWAPA Ride Report, a new must-listen podcast to understand the latest developments with the new CBA, including frequently asked questions from pilots on the line. Check in for the Ride Report every Thursday. This week's edition focuses on Implementation updates and popular topics in the 401K, Scheduling, and Contract Administration world.
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Today's SWAPA number is eight, that's how many new overrides are being implemented and paid between now and March 1st. Today we're going to talk to SRC Chair, Scott Plyler, and SWAPA Manager of Schedule Analytics, Meagan Nelan, about where we stand so far with implementing the new contract, what's further down the line and what the membership should expect going forward.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 92.7. That's the percentage of pilots that voted to make the Tentative Agreement between SWAPA and Southwest Airlines, a Collective Bargaining Agreement, in the vote that closed last week. On today's podcast, we're talking with SWAPA president, Captain Casey Murray and SWAPA VP, Captain Tom Nekouei, about what comes next for SWAPA and its members in a post contract 2024.
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Today's SWAPA number is 745. That's how many pilots that have entered longterm disability since 2020. As our pilot group is considering the TA before them, we'd like to zero in on an area of our contract that holds a lot of confusion for our members and their families, and that is disability. To better understand how disability works, what is changing and what we've seen from Q&A on the Contract 2020 Resource Center, we have on today's show, NC member and benefits expert, Damian Jennette.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 64%. That's the percentage of Contract 2020 that will be effective on date of ratification. By the end of 2024, that number will rise to 84%.
Today on the show, we're going to talk with Jody Reven, Scott Plyler, and Damian Jennette about the implementation of Contract 2020, why we agreed to the timelines in the implementation plan, and what happens if the Company doesn't meet them.
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On this Contract 2020 TA Education episode, we'll hear from Negotiating Committee Member, Damian Jennette about Section 4, Benefits.
00:20 Section 4 Overview and Language
01:27 Codifications
02:18 Survivor Eligibility and Retirees
04:24 All things COBRA
05:14 Medical, Dental, and Prescription Drugs
08:17 Disability Overview
10:22 Disability and Incapacity Language
12:39 Income Disability
14:14 Elimination Period Changes
16:40 Mental Health and Substance Abuse
18:12 Social Security Offset Removal
20:03 Top Up Plan Language and Example Case
24:34 Current Pilots on Disability at DOR
25:59 Retirement Contributions on Disability
28:10 MBCBP Provisions
28:54 Benefits While on Disability
30:08 Supplemental Plan Changes
32:12 Life Insurance Language
35:13 Retiree Travel
35:48 VEBA Language
37:09 Periodic Company Meetings
For more information, visit the Contract 2020 TA Education Resource Center on swapa.org.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 3. On our Contract 2020 Negotiating team, we call our core of scheduling SME's, SRC3. That's Scott Plyler, Dan O'Connor, and Meagan Nelan, who are the individuals most responsible for the complete rewrite of our work rules. On this episode, we're going to sit down with them for a discussion about those scheduling sections of Contract 2020, where we started and where we ended up.
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On this Contract 2020 TA Education episode, we'll hear from Negotiating Committee Chair, Jody Reven, about Section 1.
00:14 Strategy and Protections
01:09 Industry Comparison
02:58 State Owned Enterprises, Partnership Language, Exclusion List
06:52 Expansion of Network Discussion
08:30 Fragmentation
09:58 Domiciles Outside of CONUS
10:35 Mutual Benefit Discussion
11:03 PDEW Buckets
12:28 Re-Opener Language
13:33 Alternate Training Location Provisions
14:35 Management Rights
For more information, visit the Contract 2020 TA Education Resource Center on swapa.org.
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On this Contract 2020 TA Education episode, we'll hear from our resident host, Kurt Heidemann about Section 2, Compensation.
00:31 Overview of Language Changes
01:07 Pay Rates and Increases
02:06 Amenable Dates
02:55 Post Amenable Strategy
04:22 Post Amenable Raises
04:50 Ratification Bonus
04:59 Pay Rates Discussion
06:12 Conversion Factor
06:46 First Year Pay
07:28 Line Guarantees
07:53 Rigs
09:10 Pay Multiples
10:15 Overrides
11:10 Leg Change Override
11:57 Ground Time Override (GTO)
12:18 Late Return Override (LRO)
12:46 Reserve Release Override (RRO)
13:04 Long Duty Override (LDO)
13:24 Night Override
14:06 ETOPS and SAQ Override
14:15 Scheduled Subservice
14:38 Holiday Override and Adds
15:40 GDOs
15:56 Online Scheduled Pay (Replaces Daily Reassignment Pay)
16:22 Reserve Pay and Reserve Sick Pay
17:55 Training Pay
20:13 Training Travel Pay
21:18 Ground Transportation and Double Deadheads
23:15 Vacation and Fatigue Pay
24:10 Pay Audits
For more information, visit the Contract 2020 TA Education Resource Center on swapa.org.
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On this Contract 2020 TA Education episode, we'll hear from Negotiating Committee Chair, Jody Reven about Section 3, Expenses.
01:10 Expense Reporting and Reimbursement
01:40 Exceeding Limits Language
02:22 Per Diem
03:02 Additional Per Diem
04:00 Uniform Expenses
05:31 Parking Expenses
06:09 Provisional Parking Expenses
06:34 FAA Physical Exam Expenses
08:08 Non-Routine FAA Exams
09:14 Head Set Reimbursement
09:47 Moving Expenses
11:15 Involuntary Displacements
11:55 Moving Weight Limits
13:19 Travel Expenses
For more information, visit the Contract 2020 TA Education Resource Center on swapa.org.
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On this Contract 2020 TA Education episode, we'll hear from Negotiating Committee Member, Damian Jennette about Section 5, Retirement.
00:17 Retirement Headlines
00:39 MBCBP Overview
01:57 MBCBP Funding
03:28 Private Letter Ruling – Additional Funding
04:26 Excess Contribution Limits
05:22 Four Sources of Spill Cash and Filling Qualified Buckets
07:59 Non-Qual Plans Today and Moving Forward
08:58 IRS and PLR Timeline
11:22 PLR Protections
14:11 Contingency Planning
14:59 Account Structure and Access
16:25 “Market Based” Defined
16:56 Preservation of Capital Rule
18:27 Hypothetical Gains
19:23 59 ½ Rule and In-Service Distribution
20:34 NEC Philosophy
22:13 Profit Sharing Plan Changes
24:37 Profit Sharing Deferral Percetages and Why
26:03 401K Plan Changes
26:44 Non Qual Plans
For more information, visit the Contract 2020 TA Education Resource Center on swapa.org.
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On this Contract 2020 TA Education episode, we'll hear from resident host, Kurt Heidemann on Section 6, General.
01:18 Uniforms
02:20 Required Documents
02:55 Crew Meals
04:48 Jumpseat
06:23 Pilot Travel
08:55 Team/Company Meetings
11:10 SIDA Badges
12:01 Retirement and Resignation Procedures
13:50 Company Relations
14:31 Records, Data Analysis, and Access
19:01 Joint Budgets
20:29 Infectious Diseases, CC Pay
21:41 Benefits Entitlement
22:38 Aircraft Equipment
24:18 Pilot Information
25:17 Association Access & Inclusion
26:11 Safety and Security
26:28 FFDO Program
27:23 Medical Privacy and Practice
For more information, visit the Contract 2020 TA Education Resource Center on swapa.org.
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On this Contract 2020 TA Education episode, we'll hear from SRC Chair, Scott Plyler and SRC member, Dan O'Connor about Section 10, Exchange of Flying.
00:18 Change in Exchange of Flying and Automation
00:35 TTGA Changes
02:18 TTGA Over Non-Flys
03:55 New Open Time Giveaway Rules
05:15 Jetway Trades
06:09 ELITT Changes
08:22 DTC Limitations
08:38 PNZ
10:15 Co-Terminal ELITT
11:43 Direct Drop and Pickup Details
13:20 Reserve ELITT
14:13 ELITT DTC
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On this Contract 2020 TA Education episode, we'll hear from SRC member, Dan O'Connor, about Section 14, Vacation.
00:21 3 Main Changes to Vacation
01:22 1.5% Floor and Industry Comparison
03:33 Additional Spring Break Weeks
04:08 Elimination of Floating Vacation + More Open Time Weeks
06:13 Vacation Trade Opening
07:11 The Value Add of Removing Floating Vacation
08:33 New Vacation Bidding Process
10:50 Vacation Bidding Interface
11:27 Vacation Accrual
12:45 Vacation Days Adjustment Ability
13:46 New Vacation Alerts and “Line Tuner”
14:15 Vacation Cash In
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On this Contract 2020 TA Education episode, we'll hear from Senior Legal and Labor Analyst, Lexi Taylor on Section 15, Training and Standardization.
00:20 Section 18 and 23 Overview
01:01 Training Awards and Assignments
03:01 Training Trading
03:37 Fatigue and Sick
04:15 Training Adjustments
04:55 Training Pay
05:45 Training Pull and Footprint
06:45 Short Training Events
07:30 Sim Device/Training Contingencies
07:56 Holiday Training
08:17 Training Travel
09:07 Training Bids, Timelines, and Pulls
10:25 Training Move-Up
11:23 Changes to TGDOs
11:45 Training Over Vacation Options
12:03 Training Elections and Automation
13:12 Initial Training
13:43 Upgrade Training
14:40 Upgrade Pay
14:57 ReQual Training
15:16 Downgrade Training Defined
16:10 Remediation Training
16:29 Initial Check Pilot Training
17:14 LX Defined and Changes (IOE/UOE)
18:00 LX Pay Changes
18:20 SAQ Training
18:42 DL Training Changes
For more information, visit the Contract 2020 TA Education Resource Center on swapa.org..
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On this Contract 2020 TA Education episode, we'll hear from Contract Admin Chair, Seth Kornblum, on Section 16, Hotel Standards.
00:16 Hotels List
01:17 Hotels Standards Manual
02:23 Required Accommodations
05:01 The Crew Accommodations Board (CAB)
07:34 Hotel Standards Provisions
08:34 Short and Long Stipulations
10:06 Self Walk Protections
10:47 Transportation Requirements
15:00 Accommodation Selection and Ongoing Review Process
16:48 CAB Data Sharing
17:37 Operational Support and Self-Sourcing
19:36 Planning and Execution
21:01 Full Service Language
For more information, visit the Contract 2020 TA Education Resource Center on swapa.org.
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On today's Contract 2020 TA Education, we hear from our usual host, Kurt Heidemann, on Section 17, Leaves of Absence.
00:16 Big Picture Changes
00:38 General Section Overview
01:17 LOA and Vacation
01:53 Longevity
02:34 Emergency and Bereavement Leave
03:45 Sick Leave Accrual
05:05 Visibility of Sick Time
05:38 Sick Bank Buyback Discussion and Accrual Protection
06:15 Automated Sick Calls and Online Sick Calls
07:17 Medical Leave
07:50 Personal Leave
08:15 Moving Leave
09:22 Legal Duty Leave
10:25 Military LOA
11:16 Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity, and Extended Bonding)
14:58 Return to Active Status
16:43 Reference to Benefits Chart
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On this Contract 2020 TA Education episode, we'll hear from Negotiating Committee Member, Damian Jennette, on Section 17, OJI.
00:25 TPAs and Compensable/Non Compensable Discussion
02:07 OJI in Current CBA vs New TA
04:20 Sick Bank Usage
04:54 Flight Ops Involvement
06:08 Description of Official Duties
07:09 HDQ Chief Pilot Involvement
08:16 OJI Manual and Voluntary Duties
09:30 Compensable Claims and CC Pull
11:03 Death Benefits
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On this Contract 2020 TA Education episode, we'll hear from Kurt Heidemann on several small sections, starting with Section 7, Seniority, Section 8, Vacancies, Section 20, Safety, Section 22, Furlough, Section 23, Supervisory Duties, Section 24 Dues, Section 25, IT, and Section 27, Terms of Agreement.
00:50 Seniority
02:40 Domicile Right of Return
03:31 Downgrade Language
03:54 Seat Locks
04:14 Safety and Data Collection
05:43 Recording Device Language
06:23 Incident Handling Language
07:46 Oversight
08:10 Data Retention
08:31 Furlough
10:28 EXTO Contingencies
11:45 Supervisory Duties
12:31 Chief and Assistant Chief Requirements
14:17 Dues
15:34 Information Technology
16:53 All Things Crew Management Systems – CWA etc
22:57 HIMS Manual, Hotel Standards, SOE Exception List
23:23 Duration
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On this Contract 2020 TA Education episode, Senior Legal and Labor Analyst Lexi Taylor will be talking with Jay Bellar, Chip Ellsworth, and John Miller, members of the SWAPA Check Airmen Committee, about the new Check Pilot Guide.
00:21 The Check Pilot Guide
00:48 Scope and Expectations
01:55 Reduction in Force Language
02:33 Preferences
03:38 TGDOs
05:33 Changes to Schedule and Pay Protections
06:52 Compensation & Additional Qualifications
08:00 All things Line Checks
11:56 Comp Bank
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On this Contract 2020 TA Education episode, we'll hear from SRC Chair, Scott Plyler and SRC member Dan O'Connor, about Section 13, Reserve.
01:02 The Reserve Proffer Process (RPP)
02:08 How RCO and RPP Interact
03:32 Non Conforming Pairings
05:42 Reserve Preferences
06:23 Release to Check In
09:20 LCO/Pay Multiple Integration
10:59 Release at the End of A Trip
12:17 Deadhead Release
12:46 Short Notice Call Outs
15:59 Split to Cover Language
17:41 Inbound Reserve Language
18:57 Voluntary Double Time
22:18 Sim Seat Support
23:14 RAP Adjustments and Contactable Windows
24:51 Reserve Pay
27:42 Red-Eye RAPs
29:29 Re-Cap
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On this Contract 2020 TA Education episode, we'll hear from SRC members, Scott Plyler, Dan O'Connor, and Megan Nelan about Section 12, Schedule Execution.
01:09 Checkin & Report, Release
01:51 Legalities During Execution
03:49 Execution Timeline Table Discussion
06:28 Crew Contact Rules
08:08 Rest Requirements
09:30 Deadheading Language and Standards
12:45 IROPS Discussion
13:37 Commuter Rules
15:28 Company Scheduled Ground Transportation
16:58 Removal From Flying (Fatigue and Sick)
18:29 Expired, Lost, and Stolen Documents
19:16 All Things Footprint Protection Preferences
24:48 Preferences Waiver Between Company and Association
26:08 Reassignments
26:57 Significant Disruptions
29:27 Cost Incentives
30:26 Cancellation Reassignment Timeline
32:40 JA Language
34:08 JA Provisions
34:45 Personal Net Zeros (PNZs)
35:29 JA Reassignments
36:13 JA Hotels
36:35 Next Day JA
37:22 Order of JAs
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On this Contract 2020 TA Education episode, we'll hear from SRC Chair, Scott Plyler and SRC Member, Dan O'Connor about Section 11, Voluntary Additional Flying.
00:24 Voluntary Additional Flying Overview
00:44 Contractual Splits
01:32 STC and Open Time
03:27 Open Time Rigs
04:12 Changes to Monthly Open Time
07:16 Review of Pay Multiples
08:53 MOT and OTP Working Together
09:46 ELITT and DOT Changes
11:28 Open Time Alerts
12:01 Reserve Integration
12:41 Hourly Open Time
13:05 Short Notice Open Time
13:29 Voluntary Double Time (VDT)
15:18 CAP Discussion
16:08 The Flow of Open Time, ELITT of Pay Multiples
17:18 Last Resort Flying (LRF)
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On this Contract 2020 TA Education episode, we'll hear from SRC members, Scott Plyler, Dan O'Connor, and Meagan Nelan about Section 9, Pilot Schedule Planning.
01:05 Timeline Changes
01:38 Changes in Duty Time
02:40 Schedule Quality Asks and Changes
03:47 Commutability
04:46 Average Pairing Length Discussion
05:30 Red Eye Discussion and Provisions
05:57 Line Construction
07:03 Collaboration with the Company on Schedule Planning
09:14 All Things Co-Terminals
13:43 Overlap Correction
14:26 Open Time Priority
17:23 Legality Changes
19:23 ETOPS and International Domiciles
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Today's SWAPA Number is 20, as in 20 questions, because that's what we're doing today on the show with typical host, Kurt Heidemann, who also happens to be a part of the NC.
We've been in negotiations for more than three years, and the SEP process ran for two years before that. With that much time, a lot of our pilots either forgot or weren't here to know the why's behind some of our asks and how the NC conducts our negotiations. So today, we spent some time talking with Kurt about those why's.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 11/30. That's the date the federal mediators assigned to our negotiation have indicated that they expect Southwest and SWAPA will have a deal. So on today's show, we'll speak with SWAPA President, Casey Murray and Negotiating Committee Chair, Jody Reven. about what that date could mean and what our members can expect as that date arrives.
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Today's SWAPA Number is $70,000. That's roughly what SWAPA spends on an arbitration when we and the Company can't settle a grievance before it gets that far. Arbitrations are a required part of the RLA process that we operate in as professional pilots. Today, we're going to talk with Contract Admin chair, Seth Kornblum about some of the work that he and his committee do to defend our CBA from violations, and our pilots from potential discipline.
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Amy Robinson:
Today's SWAPA Number is four, as in stage four cancer. Imagine if you were given that diagnosis by your doctor on today's show, myself and Tony Caparella from the Benefits team ended up talking with SWAPA pilot Todd Hermling about what he felt when he heard those words from his doctor as well as what he's experienced while he's been out on disability. We also talked about how he dealt not only with his diagnosis, but what advice he has for other pilots who may be going through the same thing.
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Today's SWAPA Number is $37.5 million. That's the total expenses in the 2024 budget, which will be voted on by the membership this month in the fall general election. Today, we're going to talk to SWAPA's Second Vice President Tom Nekouei, Executive Operating Committee member Hank Ketchum, and Director of Finance Brian Hickman about the next year's budget and what changes might be included and how the money is being spent.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 18. That's the number of days the NMB has given us for the next 10 weeks. Those extra days with additional unmediated sessions for language writing will help us get closer to a deal. So today we're going to talk to the SWAPA NC Chair Jody Reven and NC members Kurt Heidemann and Damian Jennette about the latest in negotiations and where we might be going.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 12. That's the number of BOD seats that are up for election next month, which include one for each domicile, plus the vice president executive seat. Today's podcast will take a different tack from our normal format where our hosts will serve as guests in a roundtable discussion on the importance of SWAPA board representation changes we've enacted for this election cycle, and how you can get involved and make a difference that impacts the lives of every pilot on the Southwest seniority list.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 5. Last week, SWAPA pilots participated in our first ever nationwide picket at 5 domiciles, Atlanta, Chicago, Baltimore, Houston and Los Angeles.
On this Labor Day edition of the SWAPA Number, we're going to talk to those pilots who came together to show their support for an industry-leading contract and to demonstrate their unity and resolve.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 649,000. That's the number of new pilots that Boeing projects will be needed to staff the growing demand for airlines in the next two decades. With such a high demand and low supply of qualified aviators, business as usual from the past must change to meet this new reality. On today's episode, we will be talking with the Training Committee Chair, Captain Greg Bowen and Professional Standards chair, Captain Jon Ross, about the pilot shortage, how training must adapt to the new and diverse experience of our recruits, and what pilots can do to acclimate to the new environment we find ourselves in.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 23. That's the number of pages of SWAPA's Schedule Execution language that was missing from Labor Relations' last pass of work rules. Our proposals to mitigate long days, short overnights and a historic fatigue rate were completely ignored in their counter.
So today's on the show, we're going to talk to the three SRC members who are working with the Negotiating Committee to deliver protections for our pilots in Contract 2020. Scott Plyler, member, Dan O'Connor, and Analyst Manager, Meagan Nelan, will help us understand what they're seeing in the room and what's holding up the work rules negotiations.
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Today's SWAPA number is $402. That's the dollar amount that SWAPA members pay for their long-term and short-term disability per month. Today on the show we're going to talk to SWAPA pilot Matt Minguela about his experience on disability, as well as Benefits Committee member Tony Caparella, to give us more information on what is lacking in your benefits, what you can do to make the process easier and what needs to change to be competitive in today's marketplace.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 6. That's the number of agreements that have been ratified, with two still pending, at other carriers over the last nine months. So today on the show, we're going to talk with EF&A Chair, Eric Schnitzler, member Greg Auld, and SRC Committee member, Dan O'Connor, about what's been happening with other carriers' contracts and SWAPA's upcoming contract comparisons scheduled to be released in the next couple of weeks.
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Today's SWAPA number is 117. FAR Part 117 is the regulation that governs flight time, duty time, and rest rules for airline pilots. So on today's episode, we'll be talking with Captain Scott Hutchinson, member of the SWAPA Safety Committee and the Fatigue Safety Advisory Group about fatigue issues that not only impact SWAPA pilots, but are industry-wide issues.
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Today's SWAPA number is 8/31. That's the date of SWAPA's nationwide picket that will take place in 5 of the 11 domiciles. This historic picket is just one of the many things we have prepared over the next few months.
So today on the show, we're going to talk to President, Casey Murray and Strike Committee Chair, John Murphy, about upcoming events and strategic plans for our organization.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 892. That's the number of planned CQT move-ups from August and September to June of this year. As you can imagine, this will have a definite impact on flying for the month.
So on today's show, we spoke with SRC Chair, Scott Plyler, member, Dan O'Connor, and analyst manager, Meagan Nelan, about how the schedule might be affected and what pilots should expect going into the busy summer months.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 99.2. That's the percentage of pilots who voted yes to the strike authorization vote. That number was very impressive and clearly showed our pilots' resolve.
Because of that historic vote, on today's show, we spoke with SWAPA President, Casey Murray, about those numbers and what they mean for our pilot group as well as what the future holds.
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Today's SWAPA Number is 11.9 million. That's the amount of money lost in pure training costs alone from the pilots who have left Southwest since December of 2021. That's a lot of money being lost to attrition, and it doesn't take into account the lost revenue from those pilots no longer being here to fly the schedule as published.
So on today's show, we spoke with NC Chair, Jody Reven, and NC members, Damian Jennette and Kurt Heidemann about where we stand with regard to negotiations and what comes after the SAV at the end of this month.
If you have any feedback for us at all, please drop us a line at comm@swapa.org
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Today's SWAPA Number is 1380. That's the Southwest flight number that had an uncontained engine failure with an emergency landing into Philadelphia five years ago today on April 17th, 2018.
Today, on the anniversary of that date, we talk with Houston Captain, Darren Ellisor, who was the FO on Flight 1380, about what happened that day, the investigation afterwards, and what lessons can be learned from the incident.
Remember, as always, we want to hear from you. If you have any feedback for us at all, please drop us a line at comm@swapa.org
Today's SWAPA number is 5, that's how many unions, including SWAPA that have chosen to call a Strike Authorization Vote during their negotiation cycle while we have been in the middle of ours. The other four are Delta, Alaska, American and FedEx. Southwest isn't alone nor unique in their struggle to achieve a contract that attracts and retains the best pilots in the industry.
On today's show, we spoke with SPC Chair, John Murphy, and committee member Mike Terwilliger about the strike authorization vote that opens on May 1st, what the SPC has been doing behind the scenes and why the vote is so important to our negotiations.
As we approach 100 episodes of the SWAPA Number podcast, we're going to look back on some highlights including some never before heard clips that will give you, our listeners, some insight into the process it takes to bring you information directly from the source- our SWAPA subject matter experts and leaders - since August 2019.
Today’s SWAPA Number is 45. That’s the number of years since the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association was formally recognized by the National Labor Relations Board on March 27, 1978. You’ve heard the expression that history repeats itself, so for the SWAPA anniversary, we wanted look back at some of the events that have happened at our Union and see what they tell us about what we’re experiencing today in 2023.
So on today’s show, we’re talking with Phoenix Captain Frank Schmuck who has been with Southwest Airlines since 1994. About four years ago, he started the “Southwest Pilots Then and Now,” Facebook Group with a tagline of "A bridge to the future by way of the past." More active than ever, this group has become a sort of a historical, cultural and informational page related to many aspects of our lives as Pilots.
Todays SWAPA Number is 89, thats the number of days Contract Admin Chair Seth Kornblum was on strike, when he was with his former carrier Comm Air.
With the Strike Authorization Vote coming up and the Strike Prep Booklet having been mailed to homes, we felt that the time was right to sit down and talk with him about what that time in life was like, what were some of the things he would do differently and what he feels is important about the upcoming vote.
Today's SWAPA Number is 2.07, that's the percentage of 2022 profit sharing that will be funded next month. February is a busy time for our EFA Committee every year with full year earnings across the industry coming in and Southwest Profit Sharing getting announced. But this year it's especially busy with the fallout from the Christmas meltdown, a recent TA at Delta and big pay raises across the industry. So on today's show, we're gonna talk with Eric Schnitzler, Greg Auld, and Damian Jennette from the SWAPA EFA Committee. It's been a while since we've had all three on together, but with all the news we thought you'd wanna hear from each of them.
Today's SWAPA Number is 27. That's the number of Senators on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. This week, that committee held a hearing to investigate the airline industry and invited SWAPA President Casey Murray to testify. If you had any doubt about the value of SWAPA’s Government Affairs Committee, this hearing should be all the proof you need. GAC’s relationships and their credibility in DC opened the door and our Union's data-driven analysis got Casey a seat at the table which allowed Casey to reach a nationwide audience. This week was proof that having a strong presence on Capitol Hill is critical to getting SWAPA Pilots' message heard by policymakers and the public.
On this bonus edition of the SWAPA Number, we've collected all the Senators' questions and Casey's answers during that hearing.
You can watch the full hearing at https://www.commerce.senate.gov/2023/2/executive-session
Today's SWAPA number is 33. That's the percentage of pilots who have joined Southwest Airlines since our last contract cycle between 2012 and 2016, which led to our current CBA and ended our last trip through mediation. So on today's show, we're talking to SWAPA's Communications Committee Chair, Mike Panebianco, about SWAPA's message moving forward.
We'll also ask him to share with our newer members some of the history of SWAPA, what he sees as the most important thing our pilot group can do to help achieve Contract 2020, and what we can expect from the communications group as we roll through the next year.
Today's SWAPA Number is 99. That's the percentage of voting pilots who backed ALPA's strike authorization vote at Delta Airlines back in October. Pilots at Alaska voted in May with the same outcome. Those incredible numbers are the target SWAPA pilots need to aim for in our recently announced strike authorization vote. On today's show we're going to speak with Casey Murray and NC Chair Jody Reven, about how we got here, what an SAV means, and what our pilots can expect in the coming months.
Today's SWAPA Number is 825 million. That's the negative impact the meltdown will have to our fourth quarter earnings according to an 8-K, the Company filed on January 6th. I don't have to tell you that SWAPA has been super busy communicating with our members over the last couple of weeks. Our reps and our execs have written extensively about the leadership failures, while our committees have been trying to make sure that you get the information you need to help navigate this crisis. And speaking of committees, I want to give a special shout out to Scott Plyler and his SRC team that gave us a great day by day breakdown last week of how and why the scheduling side of the operation failed so badly. So if you hadn't had a chance to watch that video, please, you really, really need to. Like I said, we've been all over the airwaves, including business cable and major news networks trying to get SWAPA's message across to the public. The problem with TV interviews is that they get edited down to just a little bit of a sound bite and a lot of the important parts tend to get left out. So on today's show, my usual SWAPA Number, host Amy Robinson and SWAPA Comm chair Mike Panebianco, sit down with all three execs for a conversation that covers many of the same points you've already heard from SWAPA, but there's a lot more detail and nuance that had been left on the cutting room floor.
Amy Robinson:
Today's SWAPA number is 3,025. That's the total number of aircraft mechanics and related professionals at Southwest Airlines, which are represented by the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association. AMFA and SWAPA have worked closely together over the last few years to help one another out during contract negotiations.
So on today's show we spoke with Scott King, National Safety and Standards Director for AMFA about maintenance issues, AMFA's focuses, and how pilots and mechanics can best work together.
Today’s SWAPA Number is 1 in 10. That’s the estimated number of American’s who have addiction issues. That means that with 10,000 Pilots as many as 1,000 of them might be dealing with some form of addiction. So today we are talking to SWAPA HIMS Chair, Tom Stanley about the upcoming holidays and what you can do to help mitigate risk, and who to call if you believe you need help.
Today’s SWAPA number is 25,000. That’s the number of days off our pilots have involuntarily given up since the beginning of the pandemic. On today’s show we decided to talk to SRC Chair Scott Plyler and member Dan O’Connor about this troubling trend as well as getting some other scheduling updates.
We’re recording this show in Austin while the NC is in active negotiations, and Kurt is downstairs in the room and therefore unavailable, so sharing hosting duties with me today is SWAPA SRC Manager Meagan Nelan.
Today’s SWAPA number is 12/7. That’s the date of the next SWAPA Informational Picket that will be held on Wall Street in New York City.
So on today’s show we talked to President Casey Murray about the state of the operation, last quarter’s financial results, and the relationship between SWAPA and the Company's new leadership.
Today's SWAPA Number is $1.2 billion. That's the dollar figure increase from TA1 to TA2 during our last round of contract negotiations. The analysis and costing that went into that increase was calculated by SWAPA's EFA committee. But assisting us at the time was industry analyst and former ALPA Chief of Staff, Jalmer Johnson. Today on the show, we'll talk with him about where he sees current trends and negotiations at some of our peers that he's working with, what the market currently looks like, and where he sees pilot pay heading during this contract cycle.
Today's SWAPA number is $3.5 million. That's the amount of money Resolute Healthcare Advisors have recovered for pilots since 2012 when they began working with SWAPA. This is a benefit that SWAPA provides for all of our pilots and is available for anyone to use regardless of their healthcare benefit plan.
On today's show, we spoke with Kerrey Hunt from Resolute Healthcare about some of the things she's seeing on what Resolute Healthcare provides and how they can potentially help you get your medical claim covered.
Today's SWAPA Number is 50. That's the number of recently hired pilots who have voluntarily left Southwest Airlines so far in 2022. This record number shows that without an industry leading contract, Southwest Airlines cannot attract and retain the pilots needed to grow and sustain this network.
SWAPA has been in formal negotiations for more than two years, since January of 2020, when we presented our pilot's full contract proposal. And just last month SWAPA filed for federal mediation with the National Mediation Board.
So on today's show we talked to NC chair, Jody Reven and NC members, Damian Jennette, and Kurt Heidemann about what that means for the future of negotiations, how it affects the membership and what's to come next.
Today’s SWAPA number is 1.31. That’s the new temporary dues structure that SWAPA is proposing on the fall general election ballot. This marks the first time the board has voted to increase dues during times of negotiations.
So on today’s show, we spoke with SWAPA's 2nd Vice President, Tom Nekouei, and Executive Operating Committee Member, Hank Ketchum, about this year’s budget, that dues increase, and what it could mean for our pilots in the upcoming election.
Today’s SWAPA number is 2,160. That’s the number of new pilots Southwest is projecting they will hire in 2023. It's the largest they’ve ever hired.
That volume of new pilots means a lot of training, so on today’s show we talked with Training Committee Chair Greg Bowen and committee member Rob Myers, not only about new hire training but also all other training our pilots receive.
Today's SWAPA number is 6. That's the number of months since Bob Jordan became CEO of Southwest Airlines. So on today's show, we talked to SWAPA president, Casey Murray, about how he feels things have changed, or not, since Bob took the job back on February 1st.
Today's SWAPA Number is 19. That's the 19th grievance filed in 2021 which they recently got a settlement on. On today's show we chat with Contract Admin Chair, Seth Kornblum, about that settlement, and some other issues his group is working on.
Today's SWAPA number is 802. That's the number of pilots, spouses, volunteers, other Southwest employees, and SWAPA staff who attended the pre-picket party at the Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas on June 20th. As you might expect, anytime you get a large group of pilots in one room, it was a festive atmosphere, but there was also a serious tone and a purpose among those in attendance.
On most SWAPA Number episodes, we talk to subject matter experts about their specific areas of expertise. This time we decided to do something different. We talked directly to the membership and their families about what they were feeling that night.
So in today's episode, we talked to SWAPA Communications committee member, Dan Mosher about the interviews he conducted with those who attended.
Today’s SWAPA number is 7,730. That’s the number of pilots projected to be hired at just the Big 4 airlines in 2022. The competition for qualified and experienced aviators is just starting to heat up.
On today’s show we will talk to a couple of regular podcast guests- EFA Committee Chair Erich Schnitzler and member Damian Jennette. They’re going to give us an industry update heading into earnings, tell us about some recent developments with other airline contracts, and explain what those could mean to our Pilots in the coming months.
Today’s SWAPA Number is 1,654. That’s the number of pilots Aviation Medicine Advisory Services or AMAS, has talked to since they became our vendor in January of 2021. AMAS is one of many services SWAPA provides and since it helps us maintain our medicals, it’s one we all should be very familiar with.
On today’s show we talked to SWAPA Benefits Chair Brent Weisner about AMAS, Resolute Health Care, the Mayo Clinic, and some other benefits topics that our pilots need to be aware of, but that may not be top of mind.
Today’s SWAPA number is 43. That’s the number of SPC Committee members and Pilot volunteers who will be overseeing nearly 1,000 SWAPA pilots during the June 21 Informational Picket. They will be instrumental in ensuring a successfully executed event.
On today’s show we talked to SWAPA Strike Preparedness Vice Chair John Murphy and committee member Brian Marin about the committee’s purpose, what it takes to pull off a picket of this size, and what is down the road.
Today's SWAPA Number is 30. That's the number of days required for each of a series of three individual cooling off periods, according to the Railway Labor Act, under which our pilot group operates. Those periods come at the end of a very detailed process. So on today's show, we talked to SWAPA General Counsel, Stella Dulanya about some of the intricacies of the RLA and how they impact negotiations.
Today's SWAPA Number is 706. That's the number of pilots currently signed up for the picket in Dallas on June 21st, and that's just a mere two weeks after we announced it. So on today's show, we talk to SWAPA president, Casey Murray, and second Vice President, Tom Nekouei, about pilot sentiment, Bob Jordan's recent visit to SWAPA, and what's coming next.
Today’s SWAPA number is 845. That’s the number of days Southwest has had SWAPA’s Contract 2020 proposal. On today’s show I have a guest host, Lexi Taylor. Lexi is on our legal staff and is in the room for every negotiation.
Today we are interviewing Jody Reven as well as turning the tables on regular podcast host Kurt Heidemann and making him answer questions as part of the Negotiating Committee.
We'll be talking about the pace of negotiations as well as what comes next.
Today’s SWAPA Number is 5. That’s the number of SWAPA pilots who have taken their lives over the past two years. Every one of those losses is a tragedy, so on today’s podcast we address this difficult but important topic among our pilot group.
ProjectLift is available to all Pilots who may be suffering from suicidal thoughts or any thoughts of self-harm so on today’s show I spoke with ProjectLift Chair Chess Fulton and committee member Matt Foust.
Today’s SWAPA Number is 35. That's the number of member questions we weren't able to answer during the SWAPA virtual call in March. Most of those questions related to the operation and probably best suited for our Schedule Research Committee. So today on the show, we've asked SRC committee member Dan O'Connor and Senior Analyst Meagan Nelan to answer all the scheduling questions we didn't get to. Our members have questions ranging from Contract 2020 asks to how our current operation is doing. We'll ask Dan and Meagan about those things, as well as some of the great tools SRC produces for our pilots to help them optimize their work schedules.
Today’s SWAPA number is 250. That’s the number of attendees at the most recent SWAPAfamily event in Las Vegas back in January. With our next SWAPAfamily event coming up on April 7 in MDW, we invited SWAPAfamily and Outreach Chair Jean Peck back to the show. She’ll give us a feel for how the event went, explain how these events impact our families as well as Contract negotiations, and tell us what else is in store for 2022.
Today’s SWAPA Number is 4.2%. That’s the profit sharing rate for 2021. After not posting a profit in 2020 due to the pandemic, it’s good to see our airline was back in the black last year, even if we needed some PSP money to do it.
This year’s payment is due on March 15, so on today’s show we are talking with 401k committee chair Drew Payne and member Brian August about some basics of profit sharing and how it works with our 401(K) plan to help our membership save for retirement.
Today’s SWAPA Number is 162. That’s the number of open grievances the Contract Admin Committee has on file which are awaiting a resolution. It’s been a while since SWAPA has been able to bring a denied grievance to arbitration, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, the reluctance of arbitrators to schedule in-person hearings, and the Company’s refusal to meet in-person.
However, when arbitrations do resume, there are a lot of problems with the process that will make it difficult to put a meaningful dent in the large number.
So, on today’s episode we’re sitting down to discuss some of those issues with Contract Admin Committee Chair Seth Kornblum and Committee member Dave Kudish.
Today's SWAPA Number is $85 million. That's Southwest Airlines' net profit for the fourth quarter of 2021. Even with our operational issues, we managed to get back in the black.
Today on the show, we're going to talk to two members of our EFA committee, chair, Erich Schnitzler and member Greg Auld, who will put Southwest's financials into perspective for us and update us on some of the recent industry news while they're here. We'll also ask them about the memo from Labor Relations on costing Contract 2020.
Today’s SWAPA Number is 58,014. That’s the number of times the Company has told SWAPA they would circle back on a SWAPA proposal or request for information or solution. Though maybe a little exaggerated, it’s still a frustratingly high number. Today on the show we’re going to talk to SWAPA President Casey Murray and Vice President Mike Santoro about their frustrations with SWAPA's current relationship with Flight Ops and what they see as the solution moving forward.
Today’s SWAPA Number is 76. That’s the number of resolutions passed by your Board of Directors in 2021. Many of them are for internal business, such as Pilot committee nominations, and do not normally generate much discussion within the Pilot group. However, the final resolution passed at the December Board meeting surprised a few of our Pilots, because it tasked the Negotiating and EFA Committees with studying the feasibility of splitting from any other Southwest Airlines work group for hotels and transportation.
So in an effort to discuss how that resolution even came to pass, we want to talk to the SWAPA team who help defend our Pilots against disciplinary action, senior counsel Stella Dulanya and Contract Admin Committee Member Mike Panebianco as well as Chair of SWAPA’s Professional Standards Committee, Jon Ross, to discuss how some of the issues are also impacting his team.
Today’s SWAPA Number is $8.7 billion. That’s the amount of money our Pilots have invested in the SWAPA Pilot 401(K). It’s a big chunk of money that our 401K Committee oversees.
In addition to two SWAPA staff members, the committee consists of three pilots: Chairman Andrew Payne, Brian August, and Jon Athans. Today on the show, we’re going to talk to Andrew and Brian about their work to preserve and grow our Pilots’ retirement savings.
Today’s SWAPA Number is 3. That’s the number of new board members joining us today to discuss what they’ve learned so far, what they hope to accomplish in their time on the board, their background, and who encouraged them to run for Rep in the first place.
With us today are new board members elected to serve as vice-chair in their bases. Mike Piscitelli representing Baltimore, Mark Powers representing Denver, and Kevin Reece representing Phoenix.
Today’s SWAPA Number is 450. That’s the number of cases that the Critical Incident Response Team has worked over the last year. With the holiday season approaching, we know that stress levels, both at home, and on the road, tend to increase this time of year. So today we are talking to SWAPA Project Lift committee chair Chess Fulton, and chair of the HIMS program, Tom Stanley.
Today’s SWAPA Number is 67. That’s the number of reciprocal jumpseat agreements with other carriers. Many of our Pilots rely on the jumpseat to commute or just travel non-rev. It’s an important part of their lives for both productivity and QOL.
Unfortunately, things don’t always go smoothly for our jumpseaters. With changes to our weight and balance systems this summer and the occasional incorrect procedure used by ground ops, our Jumpseat Committee members have plenty of work to keep them busy.
So today on the show, we’re going to talk to Jumpseat Committee chair Brian Ross and member Helen Cook. They're going to tell us all about the work they do to serve SWAPA and OAL pilots and ensure Southwest Airlines remains a jumpseat friendly carrier.
Today’s SWAPA number is 68%. That was October’s On Time Performance, the lowest modern record for the month of October. By comparison, the historical average for October is 83%. It’s clear our operation is struggling.
So today on the show, we’re going to talk to a couple of regular guests- SRC Chair Scott Plyler and SRC Analyst Meagan Nelan. They’re going to give us SWAPA’s assessment of the Columbus Day weekend meltdown, explain some of the root causes of our operational problems, and give us an idea of what our pilots can expect for the rest of the year.
Today’s SWAPA Number is 420. That’s the number of days since our CBA became amendable on September 1, 2020. While things have been slow going thanks to the pandemic, we’re about to reach a major milestone this month when SWAPA finishes presenting it’s full Contract 2020 proposal to the Labor Relations team.
By wrapping that up, the focus will shift to the Company’s comprehensive proposal and a start to negotiating in earnest. So today on the show, we’re going to talk to NC Chair Jody Reven and our usual host Kurt Heidemann will be joining him to answer questions.
The Company's COVID policies are always changing, so today we're bringing you a quick update with the latest from VP Mike Santoro.
Today’s SWAPA Number is 12/8. That’s the date that the federal government expects all Southwest employees to be vaccinated. SWAPA has been engaged with Southwest on this issue for months now, but the pace of things has picked up dramatically in the last week.
So today on the show, we’re going to talk to SWAPA President Casey Murray and Vice President Mike Santoro who will help us catch up on all of the news on COVID and vaccine mandates while giving us their perspective on SWAPA’s relationship with SWA.
Today’s SWAPA Number is $25.5 million. That’s the total expenses of the 2022 budget which will be
voted on by the membership in October’s Fall General Election. Today we’re going to talk to SWAPA 2nd
Vice President, Tom Nekouei and Director of Finance Brian Hickman. They are going to talk us through
how the final number was achieved, what changes have been enacted this year, and what the
membership can expect to see going forward as far as financial reporting.
Today’s SWAPA number is $28 million. That’s the amount of money Pilots pay into the SWAPA offered STD and LTD plans per year. With SWAPA Benefits Open Enrollment quickly approaching, we are going to talk to Benefits Chair Brent Weisner and the NC’s benefits expert Damian Jennette about all of the SWAPA-provided Benefits plans, how to pick the option that’s best for you, and what the expectation is as far as benefits in Contract 2020.
Today’s SWAPA number is 1,000. That’s the number of Pilots who stood shoulder to shoulder at the Dallas picket on August 24, 2016, what ended up being the largest single-site Pilot picket in history. On today’s show we talk to SPC Chair Chad Korb and SPC member (and current BWI rep) Daren Black about that time in history, what the SPC has been doing over the last few years, and what they are doing since they have been funded earlier this month at the special BOD meeting.
In this episode, President Casey Murray and Vice President Mike Santoro talk about SWAPA’s efforts to engage the Company on supporting our Pilots during the most disruptive summer in our airline’s history.
Today’s SWAPA Number is 161. That's the average number of pilots per day, that were JA’d to work on a day off in the month of August, so far. We've seen JA records shattered this year. The most open time JA’s, the most unscheduled overnights, or what we call RON JA’s, the highest fatigue rates, the highest sustained reassignment rates and the most food and hotel availability problems ever recorded.
So on today's show, we're going to talk with several SWAPA SMEs, including SRC chair, Scott Plyler, Meagan Nelan, SRC analyst, Contract Admin Chairman, Seth Kornblum, and our fatigue specialist, Scott Hutchinson. They will put some numbers to what our crews are seeing out on the line, talk about some contractual tools our pilots have at their disposal, and tell us about some issues our members have been facing this summer.
Today’s SWAPA number is 40 That’s about the average number of comm pieces SWAPA distributes to our members, the media, and other outside audiences on a monthly basis.
SWAPA SMEs produce a huge amount of information and it’s our Communications Team’s job to turn it from a rough draft into a polished product, usually with very short deadlines.
On our 50th episode a while back, Kurt Heidemann and Amy Robinson talked about their role in Comm. Today on the show, we’re going to talk with the rest of the members of the Comm Team about their SWAPA Comm products and how they work to keep our Pilot group educated and unified.
Today’s SWAPA number is 23.7%. That’s the number of Pilots who got their preferred training week in 2018, our baseline year for Contract 2020. You don’t need a math degree to realize that it’s worse than if the schedule were picked randomly out of a hat. Lack of adherence to training preferences are just one problem we hear about from our pilots every month.
When I’m talking to guys outside of SWAPA, they are generally surprised by how much of SWAPA’s time and resources are spent handling training issues. While each of us go usually go to training once a year, as a whole, our group is exposed to thousands of CQT events combined. Add to that ETOPS training and ExTO requals and training has had an oversized impact on our Contract Admin Committee for a while now.
Even Labor Relations is on record saying the training section of our current CBA needs to be redone. It was written for training we no longer even do with the transition to AQP. This week, the NC will present our Section 10 language to the Company which will cover training and upgrade procedures so we’re going to talk to CAC Chair Seth Kornblum and Tier 1 Coordinator Lexi Taylor who worked in Training Scheduling, before joining SWAPA in 2015. They will help us understand the problems we need to address and exactly how we’re going to do that in C2020.
Today’s SWAPA Number is 4. That’s the number of sections of Contract 2020 that SWAPA has dedicated to scheduling and work rules. That tells you how important scheduling is to our pilots because it directly impacts our productivity, pay, and quality of life.
Since Section 6 negotiations resumed in the spring, SWAPA has painstakingly walked through our scheduling proposals line by line with Labor Relations. With those sections completed in June, we thought we’d bring back frequent guest Scott and Meagan to review with us the many improvements SWAPA is seeking in Contract 2020.
Today’s SWAPA number is 50. That’s the amount of SWAPA Number podcasts we’ve produced for our pilots since we started in August of 2019. We’ve gotten a lot of great feedback about them because they let us talk directly with our SMEs about subjects in an easy-to-follow format. So today on the show we’re going to celebrate that milestone by turning our mics around and interviewing our long-time hosts Kurt and Amy so they can give a look into the inner workings of SWAPA Communications.
Today's SWAPA Number is 68.8. That's the number of ASAP reports filed by Southwest pilots per 10,000 flights in 2019.
In this episode, we're going to talk with SWAPA Safety chair, Gary Niemann, and vice-chair Matthew Cain about the programs their committee oversees and the work they're doing to mitigate risk. They're also going to give you some advice on what to do if ATC ever gives you a number to call.
Today’s SWAPA number is 2013. That was the last year SWAPA’s Internal Audit Committee made a formal report to our board of directors. As a member-driven organization, SWAPA owes it to our pilots to make sure that our policies and as well as compliance with those policies is beyond reproach.
Casey Murray ran for office with transparency and fiduciary responsibility as two of his key tenets. With those in mind the board recently passed a resolution to fund the Internal Audit Committee for 2021 and appoint former NC member Hank Ketchum as Chair.
Today on the show, we’re going to talk to Hank about the goals of the IAC, what the membership needs to know about the process, and what that means for SWAPA today and in the future.
Today’s SWAPA number is 24 million. That’s the amount of money SWA will contribute to employee PS for Q1. It’s one of the first signs we’re recovering from the worst of the pandemic. With Q1 earnings last month and the annual shareholder meeting this month, we thought it would be a good time to talk to EFA Chair Erich Schnitzler about recent financials, what’s going on in the industry, and to give us some idea of what Wall Street analysts think about our future prospects and the strategic value those relationships provide to SWAPA.
Today’s SWAPA number is 815. That’s the number of hits our current website gets on a daily basis. While that may seem like a lot, in reality that’s far fewer than what we’d like to see.
In an effort to give the membership a better experience and provide some more searchability, SWAPA has been working for many months on a redesign of the site. So on today’s episode we are going to talk to two staff members who have been working on the site’s design and functionality: Solutions Architect Jason Brooks and Communications Specialist Casey Casteel.
While it is important to mention that they have had a host of other people supporting them, they have really been the front line people on this project.
Today’s SWAPA number is 112. That’s the number of days our SWAPA President Casey Murray has held office. In that brief period, our Association has had to handle WARN Notices, the pandemic and vaccines, the MAX return to service, early ExTO recalls, and the return to Contract 2020 negotiations.
To say it’s been a busy time would an understatement. So today on the show, we’re going to talk to Case about his first three months on the job and find out from him what his plans are for SWAPA for the rest of 2021.
Today's SWAPA Number Is 71. That's the percentage of traffic to swapa.org that are SRC items. The depth and breadth of articles, blogs, phone calls, and educational pieces that the SRC puts out is just incredible. SRC authored six of the 13 SEP cycles during the buildup to Contract 2020. Scheduling was and is front and center throughout the process.
And that's because a large part of this negotiation will center around fixing some of the inefficiencies in the schedule, as well as increasing productivity and improving the operation.
Hopefully with 2020 behind us, starting in April, the SWAPA NC is finally getting back to the table with Labor Relations. So on today's show, we've talked to Scott Plyler, SRC Chair, and Schedule Research Supervisor, Meagan Nelan about some of the lessons learned over the past year, as well as some of the concepts and processes that are going to be a central part of our upcoming negotiations.
Today’s SWAPA Number is 196. That’s the size of the Southwest’s newest ETOPs bid group in Las Vegas.
The timing and method of the announcement is causing our pilots to ask a lot of questions, so today on this special edition of the podcast, we’re talking with SRC Chair Scott Plyler and Scheduling Analyst Cara Monahan who will try to fill in some of the blanks in the Company’s recent announcement and help our pilots plan for the upcoming vacancy.
Today’s SWAPA Number is 38. That’s the number of surveys and polls SWAPA ran during the SEP process during preparations for Contract 2020 alone. Our Association doesn’t make all of our decisions based only on polling results, but they serve as an important source of data when it comes to SWAPA’s Strength in Numbers.
SWAPA doesn’t have any polls coming soon that we know of, but when we conduct one, we see a lot of membership engagement both on the poll itself and in social media and in direct emails to SWAPA, so today on the show, we’re going to talk with Economic, Financial Analysis and Industry Research Committee Member Greg Auld who is our resident polling expert about all things polling related.
Today’s SWAPA Number is 40. That’s the number of full-time staff members SWAPA employs to serve our membership. When our Pilots think about SWAPA, they think about reps, execs, and committee Pilots doing the work, but there are dozens of non-Pilot staffers putting in long hours for our membership as well.
So today on the show, we’re going to talk with SWAPA Executive Director Matt Redding. He’s going to tell us about the hard work that goes on behind the scenes at Empire Central and how SWAPA is working to continuously improve when it comes to customer service and making sure our Pilots get the best bang for their buck from their dues.
Today’s SWAPA Number is 19%. That’s the percentage of SWAPA pilots that contribute to the SWAPA PAC. Compare that to American Airlines pilots who contribute almost twice as much money per month and you can see we have some ground to make up.
Worse than that though, take a look at NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots, a one quarter our size with the same total PAC contributions. Politics is never an easy topic to discuss, especially in these polarizing times, but the nation’s heightened interest in Washington underscores the importance of SWAPA’s engagement. So we’ve invited Chip Hancock, Kyle Moore, and Derek Tate from the SWAPA Government Affairs Committee to tell us about their work in DC, what they’re doing to protect our careers, and what our pilots can do to support them.
Today’s SWAPA Number is 3 billion. That’s Southwest Airlines’ net cash position today. Despite the unprecedented damage the pandemic has done to our economy and industry, our airline still has more cash on hand than we have debt. We are fortunate to work for an extraordinarily strong company.
Last week, the Company announced fourth quarter and full year earnings, so today on the show, we’re going to ask EFA and NC member Damian Jennette to give us a rundown of Southwest’s financials, tell us know how our competitors around the industry did in comparison, and offer a little color from the earnings conference call with Wall Street.
Today’s SWAPA number is 4. That is the number of new BOD members elected for 2021. On the show today, we talked to each of them about their background, what drove them to run for office, and what they hope to accomplish in their time on the BOD.
While we did the same podcast last year, we feel it is important that the membership get the chance to hear from the people who represent them, learn a little bit about those they have elected, And, hopefully, encourage a few more people to get involved next time around.
Today’s SWAPA number is 9,144. That’s the number of SWAPA Pilots on the Master Seniority List that new SWAPA president Casey Murray was elected to represent. It’s a difficult job in the best of circumstances, but during these tumultuous times, Casey and his team have their work cut out for them.
Today on the show, we asked Casey to give us his thoughts on where SWAPA has been, where it is now, and where we’re going in 2021 and beyond.
Today’s SWAPA number is 10. According to the CDC’s latest guidance, that’s how many days are needed to quarantine after a COVID exposure. Since this new change has some very real effects on our Pilots, we decided to bring back SWAPA Vice President Mike Santoro to give us an update on what to expect if you have been exposed, how you might expect to be contacted, and how the process moves forward.
Today on the show we are going to talk to NC Member Jody Reven about what WARN Notices mean to our Pilots and what they can expect from SWAPA in the coming weeks.
Today's SWAPA Number is 6,433. That's the number of pilots who subscribed to SWAPA's Line Tuner service. It's just one of the many tools and reports our SRC offers to the membership.
On today's episode, we talked to SRC chair Scott Plyler, committee member Dan O'Connor and staff analyst Meagan Nelan about the different products their committee puts out every month to help our pilots improve their productivity, increase their pay and build a schedule that's best for their own personal quality of life.
Today’s SWAPA Number is 943,971 that’s the increase in passenger counts at TSA checkpoints since the lowest point in April of 2020. While passenger counts are still well below average, it definitely shows that the demand for travel is increasing.
On today’s episode, we talked to Economic Financial Analysis & Industry Research Committee Chair Erich Schnitzler and member Greg Auld about that increase in demand as well as SWA’s 3rd quarter financial earnings and the impacts it has on our negotiations.
Get the show notes at swapa.org/news/podcast.
The month of November is open enrollment for SWA’s medical benefits and it also happens to be when the window is open for the Non-qualified plans.
In this episode we spoke with SWAPA’s Benefits Chair Brent Weisner about SWA’s medical plans and what changes our Pilots can expect.
And in the second half we talked with SWAPA’s Director of Retirement, Mike Haynes about the non-qual plan window and got a primer on all of the plans and how they work together.
Today's SWAPA Number is 23. That's the number of days the Company has decided all labor groups have to negotiate a 10% pay concession or face the threat of furloughs. On October 8th, VP of Labor Relations, Russell McCrady, issued a memo to all union members setting a November 1st deadline to complete negotiations. In the same letter and repeated again during a Company town hall event last week, Labor Relations claim that Southwest unions, including SWAPA, have had more then six months to prepare. Today on the show we're going to cover some highlights from our NC's virtual meeting held on October 15th so you can hear directly from our negotiators and see that 23 days really is the window we've been given and what SWAPA's response to it is.
Today’s SWAPA Number is 15. As in 15D: The section of our CBA that deals with investigations and discipline. Unfortunately, there has been a noticeable uptick in the number of 15D meetings over the last year or so and today we are going to talk to some SWAPA SME’s who have to deal with these types of things on a regular basis. We sat down with DAL rep Matt Wright, MDW rep Laurin Toriello, and SWAPA attorney Stella Dulanya to talk with us about what types of discipline cases they are seeing, how to keep out of the Chief Pilots Office, and what to do should you find yourself in that situation.
Today’s SWAPA Number is $22.93million. That’s the total of the 2021 budget which will be voted on by the membership in October’s Fall General Election. Today we’re going to talk to SWAPA 2nd Vice President, Tom Nekouei. He’s going to talk us through how the final number was achieved, how SWAPA spends that money, and what the membership gets from that figure.
Today’s SWAPA number is 31.2. That’s the number of months of the average long term disability absence lasts according to the Council for Disability Awareness, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the American public about the risk and consequences of experiencing an income-interrupting illness or injury.
With SWAPA Benefits Open Enrollment quickly approaching, we wanted to chat with some of the Benefits Committee folks about our disability plans, how they affect our pilots, and what they coverage means to them. On the show today, we are going to talk to Benefits Chair, Brent Weisner and frequent friend of the show, Damian Jennette about all of the SWAPA-provided Benefits plans and why they are important to you.
Today’s SWAPA number is 13. That’s the total number of positions that will be open on the SWAPA BOD in the fall election. Back in the beginning of 2020, we sat down with each of our new board members to ask them what they had learned during their first few days on the job, what they hoped to accomplish in their time on the BOD, and what drove them to run for office. Today, with nominations for the 2020 General Election opening shortly, we’re following up with them to hear their thoughts on those things along with world events that none of us could have dreamed of when we talked nine months ago.
Today’s SWAPA number is $268,668. That’s the current balance of the Pilot Relief Fund. On the show today, we’re going to talk to Outreach Chair, Jean Peck, who will tell us more about the Pilot Relief Fund, what’s on the horizon for SWAPAfamily, and about a few other things her committee handles.
Today's SWAPA Number is 2,211 That's the number of Pilots who participated in one of the Company's much-needed cost savings initiatives last month. That includes 1,581 Pilots who took a temporary leave under Extended Time Off, or ExTO, and 630 Pilots who retired or separated from Southwest under the Voluntary Separation Program or VSP. Today on the show, SRC Chair Scott Plyler along with staff member Meagan Nelan, the brains behind the operation, are returning to the studio to discuss the wide-ranging effects that losing over 2,000 Pilots will have on our schedules in September and for the near future.
Today’s SWAPA Number is 3,284. That’s the number of listens to the Covid-19 podcast we did with SWAPA Vice President Mike Santoro on April 4. It was a popular episode that our Pilots found very helpful given the rapidly changing facts at the time. To that end, we decided to bring Mike back for a second discussion around COVID-19 to find out the lastest since it is still very much top-of-mind for our Pilots.
Today’s SWAPA Number is 25. The 1994 CBA had 25 side letters over the length of its duration. The 2006 CBA had 17. Our contract today has 2. What’s changed? Today on the show we’re going to talk to CA Chair Seth Kornblum and SWAPA General Counsel Helen Yu about side letters, MOUs, LOAs, and the other types of agreements SWAPA and the Company make in an effort to improve and protect our Pilots’ careers.
Today’s SWAPA number is $191,745. That’s the annual amount Southwest Airlines will pay to a 12-year Captain for up to 5 years who takes VSP. It’s a substantial amount of money, but it requires walking away from your profession at the top of your career, however, for many members it’s a decision worth considering. Today on the show, we’re going to talk to NC Member Damian Jennette about some of the questions SWAPA has gotten about VSP and hopefully clear up some of the common misconceptions circulating out there right now.
Today's SWAPA Number is 300%. That's the increase in calls Project Lift to seen since the start of the recent pandemic. We all know that everyone's under enormous amount of stress these days, so it's no surprise their call volume has spiked. Today on the show, we're going to talk to SWAPA Special Services chair Chess Fulton about the type of calls that Project Lift handles, what pilots can call them for and what to expect when the pilot reaches out.
Today’s SWAPA number is 4346. That’s the number of fatigue calls that have been made since Southwest started keeping track in 2011. If your run the math, more than 1 in 3 of all SWA pilots have personal experience with making a fatigue call. On the show today, we’re going to talk to SWAPA Safety Committee member Scott H and SRC Committee Member Fred Deakins about those fatigue calls, the joint Fatigue Safety Advisory Group, and the value our fatigue policy provides to our pilots and the Company.
Today’s SWAPA Number is 3. That’s the number of candidates we have running in the SWAPA 2nd VP Special Election. The candidate elected for this position will serve for the remainder of the 2020 term that will be vacated in June. The 2nd VP serves a vital role within SWAPA and we are lucky in that we have three candidates for the position this go-round. We sat down with Tom Bake, Tom Gasparolo, and Tom Nekouei, or “the three Toms” as we like to call them to discuss why they decided to run and the issues they want to bring to the forefront for the membership.
Today’s SWAPA Number is 98,000. That’s the number of total passengers that flew in the U.S. on April 22. And for comparison, Southwest has about 62,000 employees. Today on the show, we’re going to talk with EFA Committee member Greg Auld who will tell us about this week’s earnings announcement, the impact of the coronavirus on the industry, and what the CARES Act means for us and our airline.
Today’s SWAPA Number is 35%. That’s the current amount of flying in the May schedule compared to what was originally planned. We don’t need to belabor the point of what’s happening to our industry and our airline is unprecedented. I think that’s pretty clear to all of us. Today on the show, we’re going to talk with SRC Chair Scott Plyler and staff member Meagan Nelan who will help us with a postmortem of the March and April schedules, the impact of the May bidding timeline MOU, and what we can expect in May and beyond.
Today’s SWAPA Number is 19. Today on the show, we’re going to talk to SWAPA VP Michael Santoro about the impact COVID-19 is having on our Pilots and our Company.
Today’s SWAPA number is 415. That’s the number of calls the ProStandards Committee fields on a yearly basis. On the show today, we’re going to talk to SWAPA ProStandards Chair Rick Grindstaff about what types of calls Prostandards handles, how often they are talking to pilots, and what their success rate actually is.
Today’s SWAPA number is 3/13. That’s the date our 2019 Profit Sharing will be funded. This year it will be equal to 12.2% of qualified earnings. On the show today, we’re going to talk to SWAPA’s Director of Retirement Mike Haynes along with NC member Damian Jennette about all things Profit Sharing, including some of SWAPA’s goals for Contract 2020.
Today’s SWAPA number is 2 million. That’s the number data points Contract 2020 preparations produced. Over a period of three years, we received more than 200 blank sheet questions, and over 600 follow up polling questions that resulted in 17 Negotiating Points and other educational materials on topics SWAPA Pilots indicated are important to them. With thousands of pilots participating in each one, our NC can be confident that they have the pulse of the membership when they sit down to negotiate with the Company. On the show today, we’re going to talk to two of our negotiators, Casey Murray and Jody Reven, who will tell us more about all of the work they’ve done so far and tell us about what they think about the negotiations that will start this week.
Today’s SWAPA number is 6, as in Section 6, the section of the Railway Labor Act that governs airline labor contract negotiations. On the show today, we’re going to talk to SWAPA General Counsel Helen Yu who will give us a review on the RLA, negotiations, mediation, arbitration, and what happens if we can’t get a deal after all of that.
Today’s SWAPA number is 346. That’s the number of pilots who are currently out on long term disability. Here to talk to us today about loss of license, our current disability plans, and what we hope to achieve in terms of benefits in Contract 2020 is SWAPA’s Aeromedical Committee Chair Brent Weisner and Negotiating Committee member Damian Jennette.
Today’s SWAPA Number is $7.3 million. That’s the amount of money SWAPA has committed to spending on IT over the next three years. On the show today, we’re going to talk to Captain Will Young, the SWAPA IT Director. Will is going to give us some insight SWAPA technology, something that will only become more vital to our operation in the future.
Today's SWAPA Number is 8. In this episode, we speak with the 8 new members of the SWAPA Board of Directors. Be sure to subscribe and let us know what you think.
Today’s SWAPA Number is $4.7 million. That’s the amount of money that SWAPA has recovered for our Pilots through payroll audits since 2015. Today on the show we are going to chat with Payroll Auditor and Contract Administrator Matt Monahan and Contract Admin Chair Seth Kornblum about what goes into auditing a pilot’s pay, how long the process takes, and what a pilot can expect when they call Contract Admin with a payroll question.
10.7%, that’s Southwest’s adjusted net margin for the third quarter. We rank #2 in the industry, behind only Allegiant. But more importantly we were #1 among the Big 4, despite the Max grounding. Today we talk to EFA & IRC chair Erich Schnitzler about the committee, preparations for Contract 2020 and what today’s number means for those negotiations.
Today’s SWAPA number is .1%. That’s the amount of a temporary dues increase currently being debated by the SWAPA BOD to cover the increased cost of negotiating Contract 2020. On the show today, we’re going to talk to SWAPA 2nd VP Brian Fitting about the temporary dues increase from 1% to 1.1%. He’s going to tell us why the SWAPA BOD is debating the issue and why our Pilots might be asked to vote on it sometime in 2020.
Today's SWAPA Number is 1,983 that's the number of pilots who have joined Southwest since we signed our contract in 2016. Those pilots weren't here for our last contract negotiations and aren't aware of the four and a half year effort it took, including federal mediation to get a fair contract. For the first time, SWAPA pilots conducted informational picketing over a series of five events culminating in the largest single site pilot picket in industry history. It was a watershed event that we keep at the forefront of our thinking as we gear up for 2020. Today on the show, we're going to talk to Mike Panebianco, SWAPA Vice President who had a front row seat to the whole thing and will give us a look behind the scenes during one of the most turbulent times our union and our company have ever faced.
Today’s episode is a continuation of last week's SWAPA Number, 124. That's the number of CBA grievances currently open. Right now, there’s a three-digit backlog of open grievances waiting for arbitration because our Union and our Company can’t agree on what our CBA says. Ultimately, this week’s SWAPA Number is the reason SWAPA is pushing for a full rewrite in Contract 2020.
Today’s SWAPA Number is 124. That's the number of CBA grievances currently open. Right now, there’s a three-digit backlog of open grievances waiting for arbitration because our Union and our Company can’t agree on what our CBA says. Ultimately, this week’s SWAPA Number is the reason SWAPA is pushing for a full rewrite in Contract 2020.
In episode 3, the SWAPA number is 1,659. That’s the number of Pilots in 2018 who block bid then traded away every vacation week they bid on. Listen to a conversation with Contract Admin Committee Member,
Mike Santoro, as we discuss the past, present, and future of the vacation issues that are affecting our Pilot group.
Today’s SWAPA Number is $25.6M. That’s the sum total of the 2020 budget which will be voted on by the membership next month. Today we’re going to get some insight into the budgeting process, how SWAPA spends our money, and why it’s such a big number.
The SWAPA Number for our first podcast is 365. That’s the number of days before our CBA is officially amendable.