In the past, summer procedures have usually been delivered towards the end of May as we prepare for the summer months of flying. Given the rising temperatures and wild shifts in weather from day to day at many cities served by Southwest Airlines, our TWU Local 556 Safety Committee is sending out this reminder about combating hot aircraft and your rights as Crew Members moving into the summer months.
Contract 2024 came with annual pay rate increases of 3% each year on the date of ratification – May 1 through 2027. This means that yesterday, May 1, 2025, we all received an automatic 3% pay raise applied to all TFP associated with May’s schedule. This pay rate increase will be reflected in our June 20, 2025, paycheck. Let’s take a moment and review some helpful TWU Local 556 Education Committee resources about our pay rates, advance amounts, and more!
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. The TWU Local 556 CISM team is one Committee that is available to support you through life’s challenges. Mental Health Awareness month helps those with a condition overcome the stigma and get access to professional help.
We all know that TWU Local 556 is responsible for negotiating and upholding our Contract. Still, many Members don’t recognize the direct importance of our grievance process and how it can impact all of us. A pervasive Union-busting narrative is that Unions fight for bad employees. This is not true. Through the representation, grievance, and arbitration process, our Union ensures that our employer follows all legal and pre-established procedures and timelines for everyone equally and fairly.
What are the Minimum Crew requirements, and who established them? How do they apply to boarding, through flights, deplaning, and the end of duty? These questions and more are quickly and briefly answered in this week’s Education Committee Fast Fact Friday.
