SWA Pilots Win Hefty Pay Bump in Newly Ratified Contract

Southwest Airlines pilots overwhelmingly voted to ratify a four-year contract that includes a substantial pay hike and a new bonus structure.

Pilots represented by the Southwest Airlines Pilots’ Association (SWAPA) voted to approve a new four-year collective bargaining agreement with the carrier. Nearly 85 percent of Southwest’s pilots voted in favor of the deal which offered an immediate 15 percent pay hike and retirement package and benefits increases that meet or exceed industry standards. By the end of the contract, pilots will see a nearly 30 percent increase in wages. The deal represents the end of nearly four years the two sides have spent at the bargaining table hammering out the details of the new contract.

The just approved labor agreement will now run through late 2020. Retroactive pay hikes are also included in the final pact. The SWAPA board of directors recommended last month that rank and file members approve the tentative agreement, but felt compelled to allow members to have the final say on the new contract.

“After detailed discussions and Q&A sessions with our Negotiating Committee, along with spirited deliberations among the board members, they voted 21-2 to forward the proposed new contract to membership for a vote,” the union said in a message to pilots. “SWAPA is a member-centric organization, and the board believes this agreement contained sufficient value such that pilots should have the opportunity to vote for or against it based on their individual and family’s needs.”

SWAPA President Captain Jon Weaks told USA Today that members were convinced the final agreement was “the right thing for them and their families.” Earlier this month, pilots voted nearly unanimously to re-elect Weaks to his post.

[Photo: Southwest]