Southwest Airlines and Meteorologists Reach Tentative Agreement

Southwest Airlines and the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU) 550, which represents the Company's Meteorologists, announce they have reached a tentative agreement on the group's first-ever contract. Terms of the four-year deal include adjusted wage-scale step increases, as well as opportunities for bonuses that are linked to individual and Company performances. "Hats-off to TWU 550 for working so hard, and so quickly, to strike a fair balance between the needs of their members and the needs of the Company," said Senior Director Labor Relations Gerry Anderson. "It is an exciting time for TWU Local 550 as this is our first foray into organizing," said TWU 550 President Mike Connor. "For our Company to embrace our Meteorologists as a collective bargaining unit tied to the Dispatchers opens a new frontier of collaboration in planning our flights safely and efficiently with more concise weather knowledge. Our Meteorologists will be able to proactively and directly interact with the Dispatchers. This will prove to be a major asset to our Customers, our Company, and our operations, especially with our new direction into International service." The agreement carries an amendable date of June 1, 2019, and is subject to membership ratification.