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Southwest And
AirTran Pilots Reached Agreement On Seniority List By Jim Douglas |
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September 25, 2011 - Southwest Airlines announce a
tentative agreement has been reached between the
Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association (SWAPA), the
union representing Southwest Airlines Pilots, and the
Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), the union
representing the pilots of AirTran Airways.
This tentative agreement would integrate the two groups'
seniority lists. SWAPA's Board of Directors and ALPA's
Master Executive Council both approved the agreement,
allowing the membership of each Pilot's Union to review
the proposed agreement and ultimately put it to a
ratification vote. Southwest Airlines finalized closing
of the acquisition of AirTran Holdings, Inc. on May 2,
2011.
"The unions and Company negotiating teams never lost focus on the ultimate goal of creating an integrated seniority list and transition plan for our Pilots outside of arbitration," said Mike Van de Ven, Southwest Airlines Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. |
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"All
parties took ownership of their role in the integration of
AirTran into Southwest Airlines, and I want to congratulate our
teams for delivering what we feel is a fair and equitable deal
for both sides."
"We are
proud of both Pilot groups' initiative and persistence to reach
a tentative agreement," added Capt. Chuck Magill, Southwest
Airlines Vice President of Flight Operations. "History has shown
the integration of two large airlines is no easy task, but our
Pilots continue to demonstrate forward-thinking Leadership
through this process, and their efforts should be recognized and
commended."
Reaching a
negotiated agreement with the two Pilot groups avoids the
arbitration process and gives both groups ownership of the
combined list. Each Pilot group will now spend the next four to
six weeks reviewing the tentative agreement before putting it up
for a ratification vote.
SWAPA represents more than 6,000 Southwest Airlines Pilots, and ALPA represents close to 1,600 AirTran Pilots. Southwest Airlines Co. is based in Dallas, Texas. Southwest is the largest airline in the United States, based on domestic passengers carried, as of June 30, 2010. |