SWAPA stands up Strike Preparedness Committee
 

For those who might not read the SWAPA forum or emails.....

SWAPA Board of Directors met today and funded a Strike Preparedness Committee to conduct informational picketing regarding, among other things, the Company practice of pulling pilots off of trips for Covid crew exposure and depleting the pilot’s sick bank.

Seems like if THEY scheduled you with an infectious coworker THEY ought to be paying for any downtime…

Really like the way SWAPA is dealing with this crap.

100% behind it.

Company needs to pull its head out of the sand.

Agree 100%!

What’s really puzzling is the Company used to do it the right way.....but recently changed their policy to burn pilot’s sick banks instead.

All about the Benjamin’s…

Why pay someone to work your trip and also use company funds to pay you to sit at home when they can make you sit at home and drain your sick bank relieving them of a future liability?

I think it’s BS and you shouldn’t have to call off unless you’re not fit. If they want you to quarantine and you’re not symptomatic…then they can pay for it.

I understand the bean counter logic behind the decision, and even acknowledge the legal craftiness of how they are penalizing / incentivizing pilots into getting vaccinated instead of mandating vaccination like United.

But I don’t understand how they can take money from the Government but then pocket it, and burn pilot’s sick time instead?

Even if it is legal, I think it is a miscalculation and they will lose in the court of public opinion.

Daaaaaaamn. Nicely played SWAPA! Didn’t see this coming at all but I’m fully in support of it!

Wow. Even allegiant still pay protects pilots pulled for COVID exposure.

Yeah....I also don't understand the logic of saying you lost money for the quarter but made a profit due to taxpayer "donations". I love profit sharing, but it's a little dirty when it's your own money.

I think this should be pressed to test and a lawsuit filed. Forget grievance. This is a violation of status quo.

Agree 100%

The messaging so far seems to be about lack of crew meals and schedule reroutes. I don’t think the public will give us much sympathy for that.

I say all in on the “healthy pilots forced to quarantine and burn sick time while the company pockets Billions of tax payer dollars” angle.

Why are they even pulling people off trips anymore. Is only the unvaccinated or everybody. We’ve been told that if we’re vaccinated and exposed we no longer have to quarantine. If it’s the unvaxxed i get why they are making them use sick bank. I think that’s what most businesses have decided to do. I’m not pushing vaccines on anyone by any means. That’s totally up to each individual. I also don’t believe anyone should be forced to take off work if they are not feeling sick. That is also up to each individual. Making people stay home because they’ve been “exposed” is just another overreach on par with vaccine mandates.

At this point, the whole friggin world is “exposed.” Even New Zealand and Australia aren’t keeping it out - despite turning themselves into police states. Fir that matter, the ‘traditional’ police states have it as well, among both vaccinated and unvaccinated.

I was exposed last week. By a CA I’d flown with for 2 DAYS, who tested positive, who was fully vaccinated.

They called my FA’s before van time to let them know. They didn’t call me til I’d already flown a 3 hr flight to the east coast.

Told me me options were:

Say I’m vaccinated and self-monitor

Say I’m not and get pulled and stuffed in a hotel (27 hr drive home) for 10 days without pay (they’d pay me for any trips during that 10 days out of my sick bank.)

I’m home and so far no symptoms. “Vaccines” don’t keep you from getting it, or spreading it, or ending up in the hospital, or dying.

NO employee should have to use their sick bank for COVID exposure or diagnosis. Disgusting.

The SWAPA Number
 

But they keep you from having to quarantine. Not that I would’ve quarantined anyway.

Agree with most of your points but the issue here is Southwest used to pull and pay for Covid crew exposures (like other airlines) but they recently decided to pull and NOT PAY.

This results in healthy pilots missing 10 days of work at no pay.

I believe all the other airlines pull and pay to protect other crews, customers, etc.

Are they pulling all pilots or just the unvaccinated? Even the cdc says if you’re exposed and vaccinated you can still go to work or school if you’re asymptomatic. Seems like southwest is being a little over reactive. But i guess so is the rest of the world.

Someone laid out your options above, but just unvaccinated are pulled per CDC guidance.

The two points of SWAPAs stance on the issue are that pilots should be paid for any and all Covid exposure pulls by the company and not out of our sick banks and all vaccinated and unvaccinated pilots should be treated equally.

I agree with that 100 percent as does every pilot I have spoken with regardless of their vaccine status or personal beliefs.

At the very least, it's a status quo violation since we are in negotiations right now.

Yeah, if corporations are gonna virtue signal they should definitely pay up.

The comments by Mike in the last minute and a half say a lot about the uphill battle SWAPA is fighting.

I have had several exposure calls in the last two months—I think 5 calls.

The way it goes is that they have to determine exposure level first by close contact definition.

If you have no close contact you can self monitor without quarantine.

Vaccination status does count if you are fully vaccinated (two weeks after second dose) and prior covid recovery only counts for the last 90 days.

I’m not quarantining. Take my temp a couple time a day. No symptoms so far.

There’s no logic behind any of this. I can self monitor if I had a shot, which doesn’t make me immune at al to getting sick or spreading it. But I can’t self monitor if I didn’t have a shot….because of reasons.

Or if you are a “Covid survivor” from more than 90 days ago.

Can't take credit for this 2021 version of Abbott and Costello, but it has me rollin' every time:

Bud: ‘You can’t come in here!’

Lou: ‘Why not?’

Bud: ‘Well because you’re unvaccinated.’

Lou: ‘But I’m not sick.’

Bud: ‘It doesn’t matter.’

Lou: ‘Well, why does that guy get to go in?’

Bud: ‘Because he’s vaccinated.’

Lou: ‘But he’s sick!

Bud: ‘It’s alright. Everyone in here is vaccinated.’

Lou: ‘Wait a minute. Are you saying everyone in there is vaccinated?’

Bud: ‘Yes.’

Lou: ‘So then why can’t I go in there if everyone is vaccinated?’

Bud: ‘Because you’ll make them sick.’

Lou: ‘How will I make them sick if I’m NOT sick and they’re vaccinated.’

Bud: ‘Because you’re unvaccinated.’

Lou: ‘But they’re vaccinated.’

Bud: ‘But they can still get sick.’

Lou: ‘So what the heck does the vaccine do?’

Bud: ‘It vaccinates.’

Lou: ‘So vaccinated people can’t spread covid?’

Bud: ‘Oh no. They can spread covid just as easily as an unvaccinated person.’

Lou: ‘I don’t even know what I’m saying anymore. Look. I’m not sick.

Bud: ‘Ok.’

Lou: ‘And the guy you let in IS sick.’

Bud: ‘That’s right.’

Lou: ‘And everybody in there can still get sick even though they’re vaccinated.’

Bud: ‘Certainly.’

Lou: ‘So why can’t I go in again?’

Bud: ‘Because you’re unvaccinated.’

Lou: ‘I’m not asking who’s vaccinated or not!’

Bud: ‘I’m just telling you how it is.’

Lou: ‘Nevermind. I’ll just put on my mask.’

Bud: ‘That’s fine.’

Lou: ‘Now I can go in?’

Bud: ‘Absolutely not?’

Lou: ‘But I have a mask!’

Bud: ‘Doesn’t matter.’

Lou: ‘I was able to come in here yesterday with a mask.’

Bud: ‘I know.’

Lou: So why can’t I come in here today with a mask? ….If you say ‘because I’m unvaccinated’ again, I’ll break your arm.’

Bud: ‘Take it easy buddy.’

Lou: ‘So the mask is no good anymore.’

Bud: ‘No, it’s still good.’

Lou: ‘But I can’t come in?’

Bud: ‘Correct.’

Lou: ‘Why not?’

Bud: ‘Because you’re unvaccinated.’

Lou: ‘But the mask prevents the germs from getting out.’

Bud: ‘Yes, but people can still catch your germs.’

Lou: ‘But they’re all vaccinated.’

Bud: ‘Yes, but they can still get sick.’

Lou: ‘But I’m not sick!!’

Bud: ‘You can still get them sick.’

Lou: ‘So then masks don’t work!’

Bud: ‘Masks work quite well.’

Lou: ‘So how in the heck can I get vaccinated people sick if I’m not sick and masks work?’

Bud: ‘Third base.’

^ haha! Awesome

there you go... say no close contact because they cant tell you who it was who tested positive.

Well, I have a voicemail that says “on this date, your C flight attendant on the LAX to PHX leg tested positive for Covid.

well there goes that idea

All of this to protect the unvaccinated.

It’s free. It’s widely available. It works. It’s still your choice. So, don’t f@%& my world because you won’t get it, or because you think you’re protecting someone else who doesn’t have it.

Theatre. Power play.

Precisely. We’ve all had a chance to do our own risk/benefit analysis and get vaccinated if we chose to. Now it’s time to move on and get back to an actual functioning society and economy. Wishful thinking, I know.

We still have an obligation to protect hospital capacity so that if you get in a car accident, or there's a school shooting, or you have heart surgery and need a few days in the ICU to recover you don't have to search neighboring states for a staffed bed.

It would also be nice to be able to keep schools open and staffed with little risk to kids, or compromised relatives at home.

Beyond those two caveats I agree with you. We've already lost a year and a half of our lives to this virus. Continue the vaccination push, develop new therapeutics, and hopefully get back to our lives.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Did you know there is a forum section made for all the vaccine talk?

https://www.airlinepilotforums.com/covid19/

It's cute that you think this all to protect people.

Looks like the simps are on patrol again. Don't worry, we'll do the heavy lifting for you. Again.

It’s fascinating to watch natural selection at work.

At this point, excepting children under 12, Covid=fewer dumb people.

So … win-win!!!

Why does every thread turn into vaccine stuff? It like the same people that their entire lives revolved around politics. Stay on topic clowns

Standing up the SPC is a good thing.

Right now, the members of the SPC are working to find 25-30 pilots in every domicile that would be willing to volunteer a little time and effort. If you feel you're able to help, check the SWAPA website in the COMMITTEES section and find the SPC member from your domicile. Then send them an email and volunteer. Commitments are minimal and at YOUR discretion, meaning they'll work around your flying and home life.