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AMFA - SWA Facilities Maintenance Technician Negotiations Update #1
Jun 10, 2013

Participants for AMFA:
Earl Clark – Region I Director
Michael Nelson – Region II Director
Bob Cramer – Local 4 Airline Representative
Nino DiMaggio – Local 11 Airline Representative
Shane Flachman – Local 18 Airline Representative
Mike Young – Local 32 Airline Representative
Danny York – Facility Maintenance DAL
Lucas Middlebrook – Counsel

Participants for Southwest Airlines:
Mike Ryan- VP, Labor Relations
Gerry Anderson- Sr Director, Labor Relations
Cindy Nagle- Sr Director, Labor Relations
John Zuzu- Sr Director, Corporate Facilities
Clint Auton- Director, Corporate Facilities
Robert Dorsey- Director, Corporate Facilities
Tim Hooyman- Sr Manager, Corporate Facilities


The Negotiating Committee is providing this update to the AMFA Membership at Southwest Airlines (SWA). This is the only official authorized source of negotiating communications by the Committee.

After a lengthy delay, AMFA and the Company met on June 6, 2013, at Corporate Headquarters in Dallas, Texas to officially begin Section VI Negotiations for the Facility Maintenance Mechanics. To ensure the record is set, the accretion of this work group into AMFA came at a very busy time, and the Company has presented major obstacles to our members’ livelihood that is requiring the highest priority of our service. The Airline Representatives knew when the Company originally refused to incorporate the Facilities Mechanics into the current Mechanics Contract that there would be a delay in negotiating a separate Collective Bargaining Agreement. The Airline Representatives crafted language in the Letter of Agreement that the Facilities Mechanics would remain “status quo” with the understanding that all arrangements in the workgroup would remain as they were at the time of the signing until they were able to be negotiated. Unfortunately, the Company’s spin on the definition of “status quo” was not consistent with AMFA’s in that they believe it to mean, “anything we could do then, we can do now” until a contract is ratified stating otherwise.

The disagreement of the parties regarding the meaning of “status quo” leads to a very important issue; the Company has begun practices that negatively impact the Facilities Maintenance workgroup which it has never done prior to this group voting for Union Representation. We have been documenting these events and ask all of you in the field to be very aware of management’s intimidation or threats associated with you becoming unionized. This type of action is a violation of Federal Law, and we have notified the Company that it will not be tolerated. Please be respectful but diligent in documenting any of these situations. Do not hesitate calling your AMFA representative if you have any questions on this matter.

Having said that, the negotiation session on June 6 was a pretty standard, uneventful Section VI opening meeting. First, we had an introduction period where the “chairs/co-chairs” of each committee were established. We then established that our intent is to negotiate the Facilities Mechanics into the existing Mechanic’s Contract with some additional specific language. The Company established their intent was to negotiate an entirely separate contract for this workgroup that would better represent their industry. We presented them with the Association’s proposal and the Company said they would get back with us in a few weeks to inform us of which articles they would be ready to begin discussions on when we meet again on July 15, 2013.

At this time we have the following dates scheduled for Facilities Maintenance Negotiations: July 15, 23 and 24; September 12; October 2, 3, and 31.

Our side continues to be committed to making a concerted effort to reach an agreement that addresses our members’, and the Company’s, concerns. Our Committee would like to thank the observer that took the time to attend.


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AMFA
7853 E. Arapahoe Court, Suite 1100
Centennial, CO 80112
  303-752-2632

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