Tag Archives: N8305E

IAM files for mediation at Southwest Airlines

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) has issued this statement against Southwest Airlines (Dallas):

After more than two years of direct talks with Southwest Airlines, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) announced it will file for mediation with the National Mediation Board (NMB), the federal agency that oversees contract negotiations in the airline industry.

“Southwest earned nearly a billion dollars last year, is on pace to report a larger profit for this year, has the most productive workforce in the airline industry and yet refuses to offer any real improvements,” said IAM District 142 President Tom Higginbotham. “Management is hell-bent to move to a risky variable compensation system as opposed to offering guaranteed wage increases. It’s clear this is a numbers oriented airline instead of a people oriented airline.”

Coupled with Southwest’s deteriorating labor relations, the carrier’s operational performance has plummeted. The carrier has among the worst on-time arrival rate in the airline industry, it ranks among the bottom in mishandled baggage and hovers at the top of the airline industry in denied boardings.

“Southwest has merged its way to super-profits and is doing everything it can to stonewall its employees from sharing fairly in the success they’ve worked so hard to create,” continued Higginbotham. “This is greed, pure and simple and the IAM will not stand for it.”

If the IAM’s application for federal mediation is granted by the NMB, the agency then begins the process of attempting to resolve the differences between the parties via mediated discussions. If no agreement can be reached through mediation, the Railway Labor Act (RLA)—the federal law that governs collective bargaining in the airline industry—has several mechanisms to bring both sides together, including arbitration and a possible strike.

The IAM represents approximately 6,000 passenger service and reservation agents at the carrier and has never before had to utilize the NMB’s mediation services to achieve an agreement with Southwest.

The IAM represents over 100,000 workers in the airline and railroad sectors and is the largest transportation union in North America.

Meanwhile Southwest issued this statement about “listening” to its internal and external customers through a new “Listening Center”:

On August 26 Southwest Airlines unveiled a Listening Center devoted to engaging with Employees and Customers in real time. Located at Southwest Airlines Headquarters in Dallas, the Listening Center is the first of its kind in the domestic airline industry. It serves as the airline’s nerve center, integrating traditional media, social media, and operational data to allow various functions to move quickly and efficiently from insight to action.

The Listening Center is staffed seven days a week with Southwest Employees from the Customer Relations, Communication, and Marketing departments. The Employees are available around the clock to answer questions, engage with Customers, and share feedback across the organization to enhance the Customer experience.

“The Listening Center symbolizes our commitment to listening to our internal and external Customers, and taking that feedback to make smarter business decisions,” said Linda Rutherford, Vice President Communication & Outreach at Southwest Airlines. “As we continue to evolve as a social business, we’ll connect with our Employees and Customers in ways that are meaningful to them.”

The Listening Center works closely with Southwest’s Network Operations Control center (NOC), and has staffed a satellite Listening Center within the heart of the NOC to relay real-time feedback from Customers as operational challenges arise. The satellite Listening Center allows Employees on the Social Media Team to proactively communicate with Customers as operational updates become available.

“The best companies are innovating at the speed of the customer,” said Scott McCorkle, chief executive officer, Salesforce ExactTarget Marketing Cloud. “Utilizing our technology, Southwest Airlines is connecting with their customers to deliver a phenomenal customer experience.”

Southwest Airlines is regarded as a pioneer in the social media space and has been recognized in many ways for embracing social technologies. The Nuts About Southwest Blog is a PR News Hall of Fame inductee, and many social media campaigns and Social Media Team members have been awarded best-in-class recognitions.

The Listening center was designed by Corgan and built by Structure Tone. The visualizations displayed within the facility are powered by Salesforce ExactTarget Marketing Cloud’s Radian6 Command Center and Crowd Reactive. The technology allows Southwest to quickly identify hot topics, influencers, trends, and consumer-generated media.

Southwest Airlines:

Southwest’s board approves an increase in the dividend and a $1 billion stock repurchase program

Southwest Airlines (Dallas) announced its Board of Directors, at its meeting held today (May 14), increased the Company’s quarterly dividend by 50 percent and authorized a new $1 billion share repurchase program. Under the new $1 billion share repurchase authorization, an initial $200 million of Southwest common stock will be repurchased under an accelerated share repurchase program. The quarterly dividend will increase to $.06 per share from $.04 per share, beginning with the 151st consecutive quarterly dividend declared today to Shareholders of record at the close of business on June 4, 2014 on all shares then issued and outstanding. The dividend will be paid on June 25, 2014. Annualized, this increased dividend amounts to over $160 million based on approximately 692 million1 shares of common stock outstanding.

Gary C. Kelly, Chairman of the Board, President, and CEO, stated: “The actions taken today by our Board are in recognition of our strong financial position and performance, strong cash flow outlook, and dedication to returning value to our Shareholders. The Board authorized an increase in our quarterly dividend payment to $.06 per share from $.04 per share. Based on yesterday’s closing stock price of $24.98, this would provide an approximate one percent annual dividend yield to our Shareholders. The Board also authorized a new $1 billion share repurchase program. Last week, we completed our previous total $1.5 billion share repurchase authorization, bringing the cumulative return to Shareholders through share repurchases and dividends, since August 2011, to approximately $1.7 billion.

“Today’s announcement enables us to further Southwest’s long-standing commitment to deploy capital back to our Shareholders, while preserving our financial strength. We have maintained an investment-grade credit rating for over 30 years, the only U.S. airline with such a distinction. Our balance sheet and liquidity remain strong with cash and short-term investments of approximately $3.7 billion1, and a fully available unsecured revolving credit line of $1 billion. As of April 30, 2014, we have reduced our debt and capital lease obligations, net, by approximately $1.5 billion since the acquisition of AirTran, and intend to repay an additional $470 million in debt and capital lease obligations for the remainder of this year.

“With the upcoming repeal of the Wright Amendment, launch of international service, launch of service from the additional slots acquired at New York’s LaGuardia Airport and Reagan Washington National Airport, and the planned completion of the AirTran integration, 2014 is a monumental year for Southwest and our Shareholders. We are very pleased with the successful execution of our major strategic initiatives thus far, which have contributed significantly to our profits. The momentum from our record first quarter 2014 results continued into April, with strong traffic and revenue trends. Based on these trends and our current outlook, we are on track with our plan to achieve a 15 percent pre-tax return on invested capital, excluding special items, this year.”

As of May 9, 2014, the Company completed its previous total $1.5 billion share repurchase authorization, including $200 million, or approximately 8.6 million shares, under an accelerated share repurchase program launched in February 2014. Under the total $1.5 billion share repurchase authorization, the Company repurchased approximately 126 million shares, which has reduced its shares outstanding by over 15 percent since August 2011. The Company intends to execute an agreement today to implement a new $200 million accelerated share repurchase program. The remaining $800 million of authorized share repurchases under the new program will be made in accordance with applicable securities laws in open market, private, or accelerated repurchase transactions from time to time, depending on market conditions, but may be discontinued at any time.

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-8H4 N8305E (msn 36683) taxies to the runway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. On April 9, 2014 operated its first revenue flight utilizing a Boeing 737-800 equipped with Aviation Partner’s Boeing Split Scimitar Winglets. The newly designed winglet differs than those currently installed on the carrier’s fleet of Boeing 737s, with aerodynamic scimitar tips and a large ventral strake on the bottom of the blended winglet structure. By upgrading the 737-800s with Split Scimitar Winglets, annual fuel savings are estimated to increase from approximately 3.5 percent per aircraft from Blended Winglets to approximately 5 to 5.5 percent per aircraft annually. In addition, the new winglet will reduce emissions, supporting Southwest’s commitment to the environment. The Split Scimitar Winglets will be installed on 33 new 737-800s once they are delivered to the airline this year. The airline also plans to retrofit 52 additional 737-800s currently in the fleet. The retrofits are expected to be completed by early 2015. All of the carrier’s Boeing 737-700s and 737-800s, as well as a majority of its 737-300s, are equipped with Blended Winglets saving the company roughly 55 million gallons of fuel annually. Blended Winglets were first installed on Southwest Airlines Boeing 737s in 2007.

Southwest Airlines:

Southwest announces nonstop service between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Lambert-St. Louis International Airport

Southwest Airlines (Dallas) announced today it will begin service between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and Lambert-St. Louis International Airport (STL) with two daily nonstop roundtrip flights starting on September 30, 2012.

Southwest Airlines began service to DCA on July 8, 2012, with daily nonstop roundtrip service to Austin. The new STL service is made possible by Southwest’s recent purchase of four inside-perimeter slots at DCA.

Southwest Airlines also has been expanding its presence in St. Louis, a market the carrier has served for more than 25 years. Southwest is the largest carrier at STL with DCA being its 34^th nonstop destination out of the market. Southwest recently added flights between STL and markets such as Newark, Nashville, New Orleans, Raleigh-Durham, Milwaukee, and Seattle. The carrier also will begin service between St. Louis and both New York LaGuardia and San Antonio beginning on August 12, 2012.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough. Brand new Boeing 737-8H4 N8305E (msn 36683) lands at Baltimore/Washington. Southwest is adding the new type on its main routes.

Southwest: