TWU 557 Members
Please note that the amenable date of our contract clock is now counting up.
Contracts under the Rail Way Labor Act do not expire. The Contract remains in force until changes are negotiated and accepted by both sides.
Negotiations are scheduled starting January 14, 2020.
Ladies and Gentlemen of 557, we close the year with both a greeting and a message. Our prayer is that you all are enjoying the love of community and family this advent season and that your holiday and the upcoming year are blessed with peace, joy and fulfillment.
Merry Christmas, Jerry, Jim, Mike and Joe
The State of Our Local Union
TWU 557
Fellow members,
As we end 2019, the Local TWU 557 President is obligated to provide the membership with an annual report on our State of the Union. In compliance with this Constitutional requirement, the following messages are presented for your information.
From Your President:
TWU 557 started 2019 with the hope that an updated contract with Southwest Airlines could be achieved on a timely basis. Both sides agreed, at the beginning, that the current agreement needed to be updated to match how we work under the Advanced Qualification Program (AQP). However, our talks, at this point have not resulted in significant changes. We remain stalemated on Article 6, Scheduling, and Article 4, Compensation. Both Articles have been, essentially, addressed without negotiated change. TWU 557 and the Company are currently scheduled to meet again starting in January of 2020. It is obvious that Southwest Airlines Senior Management does not understand the current instructor training role at Southwest Airlines, nor do they understand our membership’s point of view. Your leadership and negotiating team will continue to represent your needs and interests, for as long as it takes, to achieve an updated AQP representative contract. Look for more information in January. Your leadership remains hopeful that an updated contract can be achieved in a reasonable time frame during 2020, especially with all the public attention to the MAX problems.
During 2019 we had many achievements. Several are listed below.
It has been my pleasure representing you as President during 2019. I look forward to your continued support and I sincerely hope as we move into 2020 that our team will continue to help our membership achieve our joint professional goals.
Please read the comments from your other elected Executive Officers.
On behalf of the membership,
Jerry
Gerald H. Bradley
President TWU 557
Flight Crew Training Instructors
My fellow instructors:
Although our hope had been to have a viable contract before you by this time, we remain confident that we, as a board and Union, are on a path to bringing about meaningful changes to our working agreement. As Captain Bradley pointed out, we have mutually agreed to hold negotiations in abeyance until the New Year. Notwithstanding, we believe that we can demonstrate to the Company that the services that our instructional group provides are, not only different than our competition, but that we bring greater value to the table than they.
As we move forward, we stand in the admirable position of maintaining a unified membership, well organized and researched negotiating team and sound balance sheet. At this time, we represent the largest group of instructors in Southwest Airlines history and provide greater value than ever before.
As a board, our goal is to represent you, our members, with the highest level of fidelity, intentionality and transparency. We approach our resumed negotiations with a sense of optimism, enthusiasm and strong resolve and are grateful for your continued input and support.
Best regards,
Jim Baird
Vice President, TWU 557
Fellow Instructors,
As we close out the calendar year it is also the end of the 2019 fiscal year. We remain in sound financial condition. Our dues income increased over 2018 and was above what was projected for 2019. As was expected our costs increased slightly over recent years primarily due to negotiations. Both our normal operating expenses and contract negotiations were inline with the budget. As is required by our bylaws and the TWU constitution an audit of our recent years bookkeeping was conducted by our CPA with no issues found. I was also able to attend Treasurers training conducted by TWU of America which helped me fine-tune our procedures.
Your board had hoped that we would have reached an agreement with the company on our new collective bargaining agreement by now. As others have stated we still have some work to do to come to an agreement. As we move forward, we will continue to conservatively and responsibly manage the funds that you have entrusted us with. Our 2020 budget will be out for review soon. Both the operating and negotiating budgets will remain fairly constant from 2019. Please feel free to contact me with any questions concerning our expenditures.
Mike Lucy
Secretary/Treasurer
TWU Local 557
,
Fellow Flight Instructors, as we begin to close out the calendar year, I wanted to say a few words about where we are as a work group. As your Member-at-Large, my number one goal was to be easily accessible to you throughout the year and to bring any of your concerns to our Board. I have heard from many of you in person and via email throughout the year. I have heard many excellent ideas and insightful perspective on where we should be and how you feel we should get there. As this is my first elected board member position, I now have a new appreciation for how "things work" at the negotiating table. I must agree with our President, Jerry Bradley, in that I do not believe our leadership completely understands the full scope of what we are responsible for as we train new-hires, Captain Upgrades and our CQ pilots coming through annually. Not to mention EET, ETOPS, and other specialized ground school courses. Because there is this disconnect leadership is essentially content with the status quo as they compare us directly to AA, UAL, and DL. Until we can educate our leadership on the value-added responsibility that we bear compared to OAL FCTI's and FO's we will never agree on an apples to apples comparison of job descriptions. We are in this for the long haul and with your support this Board and committee members are prepared to work hard on a fair upgrade to our decades old, band aid fixed contract. You deserve it.
Fraternally,
Joe Gautille
Member-at-Large
INSTRUCTORS
CONTRACT VIDEO #3 IS NOW AVAILABLE UNDER NEWS
CONTRACT 2020 VIDEO UPDATES
ATTENTION INSTRUCTORS
October 30, 2019
The Lion Air MAX Accident Final Report is Published under the Tab Excellence/Accident Reports.
It is an interesting read.
TWU 557 Executive Board
ATTENTION TWU 557 MEMBERS
Please see article posted on "Latest News" concerning labor talks at Southwest and American.
TWU 557 Executive Board
Malaysian LCC AirAsia X will introduce new direct service from Kuala Lumpur to Tokyo Narita starting Nov. 20.
AirAsia X Malaysia CEO Benyamin Ismail announced the route via social media, writing the new route will allow passengers the ability to access Tokyo “either through Narita Airport or Haneda Airport, giving them more flexibility on flight times and connectivity... these new services are in response to overwhelming consumer demand and ahead of what will be a big year for Tokyo tourism in 2020.”
The 4X-weekly Tokyo Narita flight will complement AirAsia X’s existing daily flight to Tokyo Haneda and will add 156,000 seats to the route annually. The Haneda flights depart the Malaysian capital in the afternoon while the Narita flight departs at midnight.
“Operating from two airports in Tokyo with different flight times will also entice more fly-thru guests connecting from other cities within our global network, whilst at the same time, providing Malaysians more flight options to travel to Japan’s capital and largest city,” Benyamin added.
The airline did not specify if the route will use the new Airbus A330-900. Its Thai affiliate AirAsia X Thailand operates 3X-daily flights to Narita, with one of the daily flights using an A330-900, of which AirAsia has 66 on order.
“AirAsia recently took delivery of the airline’s first Airbus A330neo aircraft, which flew its maiden flight from Bangkok’s Don Mueang [International Airport] to Narita on Aug. 15,” AirAsia X told ATW. “Future deliveries of additional A330neo aircraft to be based in Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur will be announced in due course.”
Chen Chuanren, chuanren@purplelightvisuals.com
Selected U.S. military contracts for March 6, 2017
U.S. ARMY
Blue Storm Associates Inc., doing business as Pemdas Technologies and Innovation, Alexandria, Virginia, was awarded a $49,500,000 order dependent contract for the Atmospheric Sensing and Prediction System. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, is the contracting activity (W911NF-17-D-0001).
Selected U.S. military contracts for March 7, 2017
U.S. AIR FORCE
Kelly Aviation Center LP, San Antonio, has been awarded a $1,001,978,024 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for KC-10 engine contractor logistic support. Contractor will provide engine teardown and overhaul, on-wing support/contract field teams, and engine parts and logistics. In addition, the contractor will provide all support required to fulfill this requirement, including but not limited to labor, materials, tools, equipment, parts, and transportation. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity (FA8105-17-D-0002).
U.S. NAVY
Avian LLC, Lexington Park, Maryland, is being awarded an $11,402,443 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide support for the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division’s Integrated System Evaluation Experimentation and Test Department (AIR-5.1). Services provided will include flight test engineering, programmatic, administrative, design, execution, analysis, evaluation, and reporting of tests and experiments of aircraft, unmanned air systems, weapons and weapons systems. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00421-17-C-0049).
Selected U.S. military contracts for March 8, 2017
U.S. NAVY
Sierra Nevada Corp., Rancho, California, is being awarded a $30,995,905 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00174-09-D-0003) to extend the ordering period and exercise Option Year 6 for the procurement and support of the transmitting set, countermeasures AN/PLT-5, to support explosive ordnance disposal personnel. The AN/PLT-5 is a man-portable system in support of the Joint Service Explosive Ordnance Disposal Counter Radio Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare program. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division, Indian Head, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
Vector Planning and Services Inc., San Diego, is being awarded a potential $17,910,070 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide cyberspace science, research, engineering, and technology integration. Support includes innovative technology assessment and development; rapid software development and prototyping; enabling capability training; security engineering; and cybersecurity risk management. This is one of four multiple-award contracts. All awardees will have the opportunity to compete for task orders during the ordering period. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific, San Diego, is the contracting activity (N66001-17-D-0117).
Selected U.S. military contracts for March 9, 2017
U.S. MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY
Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co., Sunnyvale, California, was awarded a $53,052,807 competitive cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for a 36-month period with no options for the Multi-Object Kill Vehicle Technology Risk Reduction (TRR) effort. This contract represents part of the Missile Defense Agency’s technology risk reduction strategy to improve performance and reduce risk for a gimbaled seeker assembly, integrated avionics assembly, component integration and testing, and an advanced seeker. The Missile Defense Agency, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity (HQ0147-17-C-0002).
U.S. NAVY
ViON Corp., Herndon, California, is being awarded a $34,790,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide Capacity as a Service support to Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (Spawar) Headquarters, Spawar System Center Pacific and Spawar System Center Atlantic. The Capacity as a Service acquisition model allows Spawar to more accurately scale, up and down, its information technology (IT) infrastructure to meet evolving mission requirements. Savings are realized through no up-front costs and a “pay as you go” acquisition model, reducing waste usually associated with overbuying of IT equipment to eventually meet an expectation of mission requirement. Under this contract, ViON is responsible for providing on-demand, on-premise computing, networking and storage solutions for a variety of systems and applications for the command’s research, development, testing and evaluation core infrastructures, laboratory and data center environments. This contract includes options, which if exercised, would bring the maximum contract value to $49,990,000. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, is the contracting activity (N00039-17-D-0003).
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主要保险提供商安联全球企业及特殊风险有限公司（Allianz Global Corporate and Specialty）和安伯瑞德航空大学在一份新的报告中表示，飞机碰撞和坠机事故占所有航空相关保险索赔价值的一半以上（57%），相当于93亿美元，占索赔金额的四分之一以上（27%）。
Aircraft collisions and crashes account for more than half the value of all aviation-related insurance claims (57%), equivalent to $9.3 billion, and more than a quarter of claims by number (27%), major insurance provider Allianz Global Corporate and Specialty and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University said in a new report.
他们在11月的报告中说：“尽管航空业安全记录的改善，特别是致命事故发生量方面的改善毋庸质疑，但我们仍然看到保险索赔的数量和金额在不断增加，这意味着飞行员和保险公司都还不能沾沾自喜。”
“Although the improvement in the aviation sector’s safety record—particularly with regards to the number of fatal accidents—cannot be questioned, it continues to see a high volume and growing magnitude of insurance claims, meaning aviators and insurers alike cannot be complacent,” their November report said.
该报告分析了从2013-18年度开始的50,000多项航空保险业索赔，总价值超过163亿美元。
The report analyzed more than 50,000 aviation insurance industry claims worth more than $16.3 billion from 2013-18.
碰撞和撞机事故还包括硬着陆、机鸟相撞和跑道事故等事件。分析显示，在过去五年中，有470起跑道事件导致索偿，造成了超过8.83亿美元的损失。跑道事故平均索赔总额将近200万美元。
Collision and crash claims also include incidents, such as hard landings, bird strikes and runway incidents. The analysis showed there have been 470 runway incidents resulting in claims over the five years, spurring more than $883 million of damages. The average runway claim totaled almost $2 million.
该报告称：“飞机越来越复杂，也导致了索赔金额更高。”复合材料越来越普遍，修复起来比传统的金属合金更昂贵，更耗时。
“Increasingly sophisticated aircraft are also contributing to more expensive claims,” the report said. Composite materials, increasingly prevalent, are more expensive and time-consuming to repair than traditional metal alloys.
该报告说：“飞机设计、技术和制造的日益复杂化也导致着陆事件的代价更高，累及整个机队，例如2013年波音787梦幻客机由于锂离子电池引起的电气系统问题，以及最近，在2018年和2019年的5个月内，波音737Max发生的两起致命坠机事故。”
“The increasing complexity of aircraft design, technology and manufacturing is also leading to more costly grounding incidents, involving entire fleets, as in the case of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner in 2013, following electrical system problems stemming from lithium-ion batteries, and more recently following two fatal crashes involving the redesigned Boeing 737 MAX within five months in 2018 and 2019,” according to the report.
同时，随着许多美国原告律师继减少主要航空公司损失之后又从更多事故中寻求更高的惩罚性赔偿，因此每位乘客的索赔要求也在增加。报告说，考虑到大型商用飞机的受欢迎程度，无论是较长的窄体还是小型的宽体飞机都可以搭载数百名乘客，引发关注的坠机事故可能会迅速增加赔偿成本。报告作者指出：“由于每位乘客可能获得的赔偿高达数百万美元，一次重大的航空事故可能会导致10亿美元的责任损失。”
At the same time, liability claims per passenger are increasing with many U.S. plaintiff attorneys seeking higher punitive awards from a wider range of incidents following fewer major airline losses. Considering the popularity of larger commercial aircraft, whether longer narrowbodies or small widebodies can carry hundreds of passengers, a headline-grabbing crash can quickly rack-up compensation costs, the report said. “With potential awards per passenger in the millions of dollars, a major aviation incident could subsequently result in a liability loss of $1 billion,” authors noted.
其他处罚支出的因素似乎也在增加。据报道，仅在美国就发生过将近15,000起野生生物与飞机相撞事件，例如鸟机相撞事故，平均索赔额为360,000美元。而且，更多由气候变化引起的动荡事件，特别是在欧洲和北美之间的航班上，正在引发更多赔偿。
Other triggers of payouts appear to be rising, too. Nearly 15,000 reported wildlife collisions with aircraft such as bird strikes in the U.S. alone occurred with an average claim of $360,000. And, more incidents of turbulence attributable to climate change—particularly on flights between Europe and North America—are spurring compensation.
报告指出，与此矛盾的是，航空仍然在变得越来越安全。作者说：“尽管乘客人数创纪录，但统计数据显示，飞行从未如此安全。”从1959年到2017年，全球500架商用客机机队事件中有29,298例死亡记录。但在2008年至2017年之间，发生了37起事故，造成2199人死亡，还不到总数的8％。
Paradoxically, aviation continues to become more and more safe, the report noted. “Despite a record number of passengers, statistics show that flying has never been safer,” the authors said. From 1959 to 2017, there were 29,298 recorded deaths from 500 global commercial passenger jet fleet events. But between 2008 and 2017, there were 2,199 fatalities from 37 events, or less than 8% of the total number.
据航空安全网（Aviation Safety Network）发布于2018年1月2日的Aviation Daily报道，去年，即2017年，仅发生10起涉及商用客机的致命事故，造成44名机上人员和35名地面人员死亡，是有记录以来死亡事故和死亡人数最少的一年。2018年，该网共记录了15起致命客机事故和556起死亡事故，按照致命事故发生数量排名，这是有史以来第三安全的年份，而按照死亡人数排名，则是第九安全的年份。2019年的统计数据预计将在2020年1月发布。
The last year, 2017, saw just 10 fatal accidents involving commercial airliners, resulting in the deaths of 44 aircraft occupants and 35 people on the ground—the lowest number of fatal accidents and fatalities on record, according to the Aviation Safety Network (Aviation Daily, Jan. 2, 2018). For 2018, the network recorded a total of 15 fatal airliner accidents and 556 fatalities, making it the third safest year ever by the number of fatal accidents and the ninth safest in terms of fatalities. Statistics for 2019 are expected in January 2020.
安联公司的报告称，飞行失控是造成致命事故的最常见原因。
The Allianz-Embry report said loss of control in flight is the most frequent cause of fatal accidents.
