The SWAPA Number

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 inc...

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. If you have a...

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. If you have any feedback for us at all, please drop us a line at comm@swapa.org or tap here to send us a text. Follow us o...

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.  If you have any feedback for us at all, please drop us a line at comm@swapa.org or tap here to send us a text. Follow us online: Twitter -...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

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 imp...

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. If you have a...

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 Committe...

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...

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 question...

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...

 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 shar...

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 d...

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...

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 rel...

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 Committe...

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 a...

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 repres...

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. If you have any f...

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 incorrec...

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 Colu...

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 sta...