Originally Posted by Grease5667

Personally, I’m not a fan of DEI at all. I think it breeds more divisiveness. However, it’s the latest craze in the corporate world. This company has gone all in, like many others. Publishing the letter publicly just shows one of a hundred ways they don’t walk the walk. If you’re going to s@&$ on a specific segment of your employees, be prepared to be called out.

Originally Posted by loveislost7M8

Sunday July 30th, 2023. The Dallas Morning News published Captain Laurin Toriello, SWAPA MDW Chair's powerful words printed for the world to see.

Add this to 1,221 Reasons Not to work for Southwest

Originally Posted by Hard No

Are we trying to “catch up” to other airlines’ DEI progress?

Originally Posted by calmemployment

I am providing two examples of what the Flight Ops DEI Council does by way of recent example. This is highly contract related.

We seek to help inform and guide the company in matters affecting equality, fairness, and unity for ALL SWAPA Pilots (majority and minority). We seek to convey all of your complaints, criticisms, concerns and thoughts so the company can implement policies that theoretically would be more effective.

Below I will provide two examples (one for a minority group and one for the majority group):

Minority Group Example:

I wrote the following letter to Lee Kinnebrew (VP Flight Ops), and Juan Suarez (VP Diversity) today and I will call for Carl Kuwitzky to be removed from his position if Southwest is serious about its DEI proclamations.

My letter:

Carl’s Exploitation, Division, and Female Pilots

“Hi Juan and Lee:

You may be aware that SWA and SWAPA are negotiating in public (to a degree) as they provide updates to the negotiations process that is nearly off the rails.

The two parties had agreed in principle on what both considered (in very rare bipartisan agreement) industry leading maternity benefits.

I believe SWA also indicated publicly to prospective female applicants that we have or will have industry-leading maternity benefits. ‘Come to SWA female Pilots for the opportunity to build a family while you are advancing in your career.’

This week, SWA indicated that it was retracting its industry-leading maternity agreement in principle because there were not “other” concessions elsewhere. The “other” concessions affect primarily male Pilots whereas the maternity benefits are of special interest primarily to female Pilots.

In other words, SWA is saying to its Pilots: “we can’t give our mostly male Pilots XX if we give female Pilots YY.” This creates a rift and division on account of gender. The act itself also reduces female Pilots’ trust in SWA, and works antithetically to any DEI goals we purportedly have. Our female Pilots are being unjustly leveraged as a bargaining tool. Further, they are being exploited to the degree that SWA represents that this is a good place for female Pilots to work, but in fact there are significant reasons why female Pilots are (a) leaving, (b) not coming, and (c) now second guessing how SWA views them and things that matter most to them - especially as child birth is among the most sacred and memorable events (if not the most sacred) that will ever occur in the life of a female Pilot.

I am disgusted and outraged.

Casey Murray rightly pointed out that we trail other majors in female Pilot employment. Is SWA trying to reduce our numbers even further, or punish those who have been loyal to SWA? Is SWA trying to undo the little we have done in flight ops DEI?

This company needs to do a lot better. I do not feel proud of what is happening.

Sincerely,”

MAJORITY GROUP EXAMPLE:

I told Lee and Juan in a virtual meeting that a large percentage of our non-minority Pilots feel that they are EXCLUDED from DEI and that we need to focus on making them feel included and need explaining with respect to why this benefits them too. I suggested that we celebrate them via random drawings during remaining months (most of the months) in which we highlight via professional photos and quality narratives detailing their contributions and stories randomly for those Pilots who put their names into the hat. This way everyone would be included and we all learn about the wonderful contributions ALL of our Pilots make to Southwest. There isn’t an Italian-American month for example, but we could learn about one Italian-American Pilot when their name is drawn; same for other groups too — everyone is important we we should celebrate everyone.

Whether the company acts is another thing, but all of your opinions and viewpoints have been shared - even the nastiest things.

And.. when there is harm done, like Carl did putting female pilots (4%) against the remaining 96%… the Council will speak. I did. It’s unfair, divisive, harmful, and contravenes any proclamations on DEI the company allegedly espouses.

I wanted to share these examples because the company doesn’t explain what we do, but these are times where you need to see. I think you all agree this is a low blow to our female Pilots especially from the company.

Originally Posted by Hobbit64

swa really fumbled on this with respect to their dei push. They need to make it right.
Maybe Al Gore can come up with a new business idea.
He could have companies pay him, er I mean make ‘donations’ to a dei fund. Like ‘carbon credits’, but for stuff like this.
We could call it the ‘Human Fund’

Originally Posted by calmemployment

Posted from the FA’s.

Almost five years without a contract… shame on you Southwest Airlines!
We have loyally worked through COVID, taken early retirement and extended leaves of absence, endured public abuse like never before, slept on airport floors and missed holidays, endured crazy long duty days (18 hours +) and ridiculously short overnights all while putting our best foot forward for our valued customers while you slept in your comfortable beds, toasted your friends and family, kissed your children goodnight and worked from the “safety” of your homes. We have watched upper management give each other promotions and raises and further line the very deep pockets of the BOD. We now work under antiquated and sub-par work conditions combined with skyrocketing inflation. Your stall tactics have only angered an already oppressed and hurting workgroup (your largest workgroup) creating a very toxic environment. It’s not Herbs airline anymore. The LUV is gone and there is no heart. When are you going to make it right SWA? When???

Answer: Never