Southwest Pilots' Union Board To Send Tentative Agreement to Membership for Vote

DALLAS, Sept. 17, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association (SWAPA) today announced that the 23-member board of directors has voted to send a Tentative Agreement with Southwest Airlines out to its 8,000 members for a vote. After four days of intense review and discussion, the board did not endorse nor reject the agreement but believes the ultimate decision should be made by the 8,000-plus members of the union.

"Ultimately, the positives and negatives of any deal will affect the lives of our membership. We believe it should be up to the members and their families to decide for themselves if this agreement meets their expectations," said SWAPA President Capt. Paul Jackson. "We have reiterated to Southwest Airlines for the past three years that our members require a contract that is commensurate with our peers at other major airlines with regard to retirement plans, work rules, and pay. Our members can view the company's offer and decide if it meets that criteria."

The agreement runs through April 1, 2019 and provides pay rate increases over the next four years that put Southwest pilots in line with other major airlines. The deal also includes increases in company contribution toward retirement, improvements to work rules and flying schedules, as well as company-desired changes to pilot subsets for international and future 737-MAX flying and a small allowance for very limited airline partnership opportunities.

"This process has been a long and, sometimes frustrating, three years for our negotiators, but we are not done yet," continued Jackson. "The decision now rests with our outstanding pilot group to see if this agreement is an acceptable solution. If it is not, we are prepared to return to the table."

Located in Dallas, Texas, the Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association (SWAPA) is a non-profit employee organization representing the more than 8,300 pilots of Southwest Airlines. SWAPA works to provide a secure and rewarding career for Southwest pilots and their families through negotiating contracts, defending contractual rights and actively promoting professionalism and safety. For more information on the Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association, visit www.swapa.org.

SOURCE Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association

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http://www.swapa.org