The SWAPA Number

5 (Chess Fulton, Matt Foust, LIFT)

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 Chair Chess Fulton and committee member Matt Foust.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

35 (Dan O’Connor, Meagan Nelan, Q&A)

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 questions we didn't get to. Our members have questions ranging from Contract 2020 asks to how our current operation is doing. We'll ask Dan and Meagan about those things, as well as some of the great tools SRC produces for our pilots to help them optimize their work schedules.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

250 (Jean Peck, SWAPAfamily)

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 else is in store for 2022.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

4.2% (Drew Payne, Brian August, Profit Sharing)

 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 sharing and how it works with our 401(K) plan to help our membership save for retirement.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

162 (Seth Kornblum and Dave Kudish, Arbitrations)

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 do resume, there are a lot of problems with the process that will make it difficult to put a meaningful dent in the large number. So, on today’s episode we’re sitting down to discuss some of those issues with Contract Admin Committee Chair Seth Kornblum and Committee member Dave Kudish.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

$85 million (Erich Schnitzler and Greg Auld, Year End Financials)

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 on some of the recent industry news while they're here. We'll also ask them about the memo from Labor Relations on costing Contract 2020.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

58,014 (Casey Murray, Mike Santoro, Flight Ops Leadership)

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 relationship with Flight Ops and what they see as the solution moving forward.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

76 (Stella Dulanya, Mike Panebianco, Jon Ross, Disciplinary Action)

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 Committees with studying the feasibility of splitting from any other Southwest Airlines work group for hotels and transportation.    So in an effort to discuss how that resolution even came to pass, we want to talk to the SWAPA team who help defend our Pilots against disciplinary action, senior counsel Stella Dulanya and Contract Admin Committee Member Mike Panebianco as well as Chair of SWAPA’s Professional Standards Committee, Jon Ross, to discuss how some of the issues are also impacting his team.  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

$8.7 Billion (Andrew Payne, Brian August, Retirement Plans)

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 and grow our Pilots’ retirement savings.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

3 (Introducing The New Members of the SWAPA Board of Directors)

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 representing Denver, and Kevin Reece representing Phoenix.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