The SWAPA Number

6 (Erich Schnitzler, Greg Auld, Dan O’Connor, Contract Comparison)

Today's SWAPA Number is 6. That's the number of agreements that have been ratified, with two still pending, at other carriers over the last nine months. So today on the show, we're going to talk with EF&A Chair, Eric Schnitzler, member Greg Auld, and SRC Committee member, Dan O'Connor, about what's been happening with other carriers' contracts and SWAPA's upcoming contract comparisons scheduled to be released in the next couple of weeks.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 - https://twitter.com/swapapilotsFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/swapa737

117 (Fatigue, Scott Hutchinson)

Today's SWAPA number is 117. FAR Part 117 is the regulation that governs flight time, duty time, and rest rules for airline pilots. So on today's episode, we'll be talking with Captain Scott Hutchinson, member of the SWAPA Safety Committee and the Fatigue Safety Advisory Group about fatigue issues that not only impact SWAPA pilots, but are industry-wide issues.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 - https://twitter.com/swapapilotsFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/swapa737

8/31 (The Future, Casey Murray and John Murphy)

Today's SWAPA number is 8/31. That's the date of SWAPA's nationwide picket that will take place in 5 of the 11 domiciles. This historic picket is just one of the many things we have prepared over the next few months.     So today on the show, we're going to talk to President, Casey Murray and Strike Committee Chair, John Murphy, about upcoming events and strategic plans for our organization.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 - https://twitter.com/swapapilotsFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/swapa737

892 (Scott Plyler, Dan O’Connor, Meagan Nelan, Summer Schedule)

Today's SWAPA Number is 892. That's the number of planned CQT move-ups from August and September to June of this year. As you can imagine, this will have a definite impact on flying for the month. So on today's show, we spoke with SRC Chair, Scott Plyler, member, Dan O'Connor, and analyst manager, Meagan Nelan, about how the schedule might be affected and what pilots should expect going into the busy summer months. 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 - https://twitter.com/swapapilotsFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/swapa737

99.2% (Casey Murray, Ready to Strike)

Today's SWAPA Number is 99.2. That's the percentage of pilots who voted yes to the strike authorization vote. That number was very impressive and clearly showed our pilots' resolve.Because of that historic vote, on today's show, we spoke with SWAPA President, Casey Murray, about those numbers and what they mean for our pilot group as well as what the future holds.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 - https://twitter.com/swapapilotsFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/swapa737

$11.9 million (Jody Reven, Kurt Heidemann, Damian Jennette, SAV and Negotiations)

Today's SWAPA Number is 11.9 million. That's the amount of money lost in pure training costs alone from the pilots who have left Southwest since December of 2021. That's a lot of money being lost to attrition, and it doesn't take into account the lost revenue from those pilots no longer being here to fly the schedule as published.So on today's show, we spoke with NC Chair, Jody Reven, and NC members, Damian Jennette and Kurt Heidemann about where we stand with regard to negotiations and what comes after the SAV at the end of this month.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 - https://twitter.com/swapapilotsFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/swapa737

1380 (Darren Ellisor, Flight 1380)

Today's SWAPA Number is 1380. That's the Southwest flight number that had an uncontained engine failure with an emergency landing into Philadelphia five years ago today on April 17th, 2018.Today, on the anniversary of that date, we talk with Houston Captain, Darren Ellisor, who was the FO on Flight 1380, about what happened that day, the investigation afterwards, and what lessons can be learned from the incident.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 - https://twitter.com/swapapilotsFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/swapa737

5 (Strike Authorization Vote, John Murphy & Mike Terwilliger)

Today's SWAPA number is 5, that's how many unions, including SWAPA that have chosen to call a Strike Authorization Vote during their negotiation cycle while we have been in the middle of ours. The other four are Delta, Alaska, American and FedEx.  Southwest isn't alone nor unique in their struggle to achieve a contract that attracts and retains the best pilots in the industry.On today's show, we spoke with SPC Chair, John Murphy, and committee member Mike Terwilliger about the strike authorization vote that opens on May 1st, what the SPC has been doing behind the scenes and why the vote is so important to our negotiations.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 - https://twitter.com/swapapilotsFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/swapa737

100 (Kurt Heidemann, SWAPA Number Recap)

As we approach 100 episodes of the SWAPA Number podcast, we're going to look back on some highlights including some never before heard clips that will give you, our listeners, some insight into the process it takes to bring you information directly from the source- our SWAPA subject matter experts and leaders - since August 2019. 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 - https://twitter.com/swapapilotsFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/swapa737

45 (The History of SWAPA with Frank Schmuck)

Today’s SWAPA Number is 45. That’s the number of years since the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association was formally recognized by the National Labor Relations Board on March 27, 1978. You’ve heard the expression that history repeats itself, so for the SWAPA anniversary, we wanted look back at some of the events that have happened at our Union and see what they tell us about what we’re experiencing today in 2023.So on today’s show, we’re talking with Phoenix Captain Frank Schmuck who has been with Southwest Airlines since 1994. About four years ago, he started the “Southwest Pilots Then and Now,” Facebook Group with a tagline of "A bridge to the future by way of the past." More active than ever, this group has become a sort of a historical, cultural and informational page related to many aspects of our lives as Pilots.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 - https://twitter.com/swapapilotsFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/swapa737