Below are questions we have received regarding the Tentative Agreement and the responses to those questions. If you have additional questions that are not addressed below, please submit them to and one of the General Chairs will respond to your question. In addition, we are coming to each station to answer any questions prior to your voting on this Tentative Agreement. Please check the District website – www.iamdl142.org for updates. If you are not receiving these emails, please sign up by going to the website. On the top left corner of the home page is a red button “Join our email list”. Fill in your information, with your PERSONAL email address and you will be added to receive any updates we post regarding Southwest Airlines.
Questions Received:
Q: Does this new contract include retro pay or a signing bonus?
A: No. Unfortunately, with the company not reporting a profit since 2020, we were unable to get a signing bonus or retro pay. We were able to get twice the increase than the company had proposed.
Q: Can you please explain what DOR +1, DOR+2, DOR +3?
A: The wage increase would be 4% upon ratification (DOR). In 1 year (DOR +1), you would get a 3% increase, then 2 years after ratification (DOR +2) you would get another 3% increase and then 3 years after ratification (DOR +3) you would get 2% increase. If you are not top of the wage scale, you would still be getting your anniversary increase, based on the wage scale, on your pay anniversary.
Q: I am a bilingual Rep., Am I understanding correctly? Bilingual pay is going away?
A: No, bilingual pay remains, it was just moved to Article 27, Paragraph M.
Q: Why is SOS getting paid more than CSA?
A: They are getting the same wage increase as all other work groups. The only change is their premium of $2.40 is now eliminated and added directly to their base hourly rate. See Article 27 Paragraph P in the red-line document.
Q: Will not voting be counted as a YES vote?
A: A ratification is a pure simple majority process. Only a vote that is properly cast will be counted. Out of those votes that are properly cast, a simple majority of the ballots cast (exactly 50% +1) determines the outcome. If a person does not vote, it means they didn’t vote. Nothing more.
Q: Why are you not allowing mail-in votes? Am I required to vote in my station?
A: The IAM Constitution requires all ratification votes to be performed in person. Anyone can vote in any location where voting is taking place. Hours have been expanded from 8am to 8pm at the centers to allow everyone time to come, ask questions and cast their vote.
Q: If this doesn’t pass, do you start renegotiating right away? Is there a long wait period all over again? Or is it like starting from scratch?
A: Our negotiations are overseen by the National Mediation Board (NMB) and we have a mediator assigned. The mediator will schedule a time to bring the company and union together to discuss the failed TA, if that is the case. The mediator will set the timing of talks and frequency of meetings. There is no timeline on how long that could be. Once the parties resume talks, it is possible items that were in the current agreement could be removed, changed or other items manipulated.
Q: Please tell us more about the WFH somewhere other than 2 hours from a res center approval process. If we can work anywhere SWA flies in the contiguous 48 states what is needed to gain “written approval”?
A: Basically, it will be your responsibility to advise the company of your location and if you move, so they can keep your address updated.
We don’t know of any reasons of them denying unless you were out of state where Southwest doesn’t serve.
Q: Can you explain the whole 10hr rule for CSA? Before you use it, come in 10hrs later? Is that the same or do you get your shift adjusted?
A: An Employee extended for mandatory overtime resulting in four (4) hours or more of any overtime worked and that causes the Employee to work a fifteen (15) hours day can also have their shift adjusted so that they get the 10-hour rest.
Q: Part time Employees at work on their regular scheduled workday with the understanding that part-time shift extensions (excluding any shift trades or pickups) will not be considered overtime assignments.
A: Mandatory part time extensions above their bid schedule will count towards the mandatory overtime limit.
Q: Will the Reps with a 10-hour PT bid shift only be paid 6 hours of sick time for a full 10-hour shift of Reported Ill?
A: Your pay should reflect 6 hours for sick. (regardless of 4, 6, 8, 10-hour work shifts)
Q: If I give away my last two hours, they can now mandatory me on the giveaway hours?
A: Any employee off because of a full shift give away (including a partial shift give away) is not eligible for overtime during those hours.
Q: Will part time employees now get mando’d first?
A: They will not, it’s full time first then part time and this will be done in order by Seniority.
Q: For day off mandatory overtime, it can go to pt then ft agents?
A: In the T/A’d proposal, it would go in reverse seniority. (CSA)
Q: Where Par. S -allows refusal of ever day in that month once 32MOT has been worked. – (Ex. 32MOT between Feb 1-25th = allowed to refuse MOT Feb 26&27&28, right?)
A: Correct and with no penalty and unless the Company can find no one else.
Q: Art.7 Sec.3 Par.T- An agent works 32VOT in 1st quarter, in the 2nd quarter, they may refuse just *ONE* MOT assignment, correct? (Ex. 32VOT in Mar, = allowed to refuse MOT on Apr 7th OR May 1st OR Jun 22nd, but just 1day?
A: Correct
Q: A DAT WILL be awarded any time up to allotment. Does this include “clock time”? Will it be approved Day Of? Or until 11am day before?
A: Yes, if it’s available.
Q: I’m a Customer Service Rep and have a question concerning the vacation time. In this new contract is it taking away the ability to choose to have all of your vacation hours as DAT hours? Are we being forced to have to bid for vacation time off now if this contract is approved?
A: You have always had to declare your DAT’s, in the T/A’d proposal if you forget to bid you will NOT be assigned weeks of vacation by the company, you can convert them to DAT’s.
Q: Art.14 Sec.3 Par.E.4 Since DAT allotment has not been filled, it will be awarded, now, it wasn’t bid, so it wasn’t blocked and therefore CAN be cancelled later. Does that slot reopen? (Ex. Our allotment is 2, bid closes the 26th & only 1 taken, later a request is awarded, allotment is met. If that awarded request cancels, may another agent be awarded a DAT, since technically only 1 agent is on a DAT, the new agent would be the 2nd, to meet allotment?
A: You can cancel a post bid DAT up to midnight before. And it should reopen for availability.
Please be sure to participate in the information meetings being held in the stations and centers across the system. Please check out the schedule, posted on the District website www.iamdl142.org.
