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A Southwest Airlines pilot explains why you will not hear anything about vaccine mandates from his union


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2021 Oct 10, 5:57pm   1,693 views  73 comments

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https://alexberenson.substack.com/p/urgent-a-southwest-airlines-pilot/comments?token=patrick.net



URGENT: A Southwest Airlines pilot explains why you will not hear anything about vaccine mandates from his union - and why Southwest has more flexibility than it admits to stand up to the White House
Alex Berenson 2 hr ago
383
The pilot emailed following the first Southwest post today (and provided his SWA ID to prove his identity). He asked that I paraphrase the email.

Essentially, the union cannot organize or even acknowledge the sickout, because doing so would make it an illegal job action. Years ago, Southwest and its pilots had a rough negotiation, and the union would not even let the pilots internally discuss the possibility of working-to-rule (which would have slowed Southwest to a crawl).

But at the moment the pilots don’t even have to talk to each other about what they’re doing. The anger internally - not just among pilots but other Southwest workers - is enormous. The tough prior negotiations notwithstanding, Southwest has a history of decent labor relations, and workers believe the company should stand up for them against the mandate. Telling pilots in particular to comply or face termination has backfired.



Meanwhile, Southwest has more flexibility than it has acknowledged. Federal contracts represent about 3 percent of its revenue, but even the Biden administration CANNOT alter existing contracts (please note, I have not checked this, though it seems reasonable); Southwest is only at risk of losing future contracts.

This pilot believes that the fact that the airlines received $25 billion in no-strings-attached cash for “payroll support” last year (as well another $25 billion in loans) has made them particularly reluctant to stand up to the Biden administration. Southwest’s CEO, Gary Kelly, may be in an especially tough spot since he is the head of the airline lobbying group.



Finally: This pilot says he loves Southwest and finds the crisis painful but feels that if this is the only way Americans can stand up to these mandates, then let the chips fall.


Also:

https://nitter.pussthecat.org/Anabel_Villeroy/status/1447378890255654918#m


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20   Patrick   2021 Oct 12, 10:16am  

https://www.australiannationalreview.com/health/pilots-and-air-traffic-controllers-walk-out-because-of-vaxx-mandates-southwest-airlines-officially-still-blaming-the-weather/

Pilots and Air Traffic Controllers Walk Out Because of Vaxx Mandates, Southwest Airlines Officially Still Blaming the “Weather”
21   Patrick   2021 Oct 12, 4:50pm  

https://beckernews.com/we-are-not-going-to-fire-any-employees-over-this-southwest-ceo-comes-out-in-opposition-to-biden-vaccine-mandate-42505/


“We are Not Going to Fire Any Employees Over This”: Southwest CEO Comes Out in Opposition to Biden Vaccine Mandate
October 12, 2021by Kyle Becker
22   Patrick   2021 Oct 12, 5:12pm  

https://notthebee.com/article/southwest-pilots-might-be-striking-against-vax-mandates

Southwest really doesn't want you to know that their pilots might be striking in droves against the vax mandate
23   GNL   2021 Oct 12, 6:33pm  

Patrick says
https://beckernews.com/we-are-not-going-to-fire-any-employees-over-this-southwest-ceo-comes-out-in-opposition-to-biden-vaccine-mandate-42505/


“We are Not Going to Fire Any Employees Over This”: Southwest CEO Comes Out in Opposition to Biden Vaccine Mandate
October 12, 2021by Kyle Becker

No, they won't be fired, they'll just be put on unpaid leave.
24   HeadSet   2021 Oct 12, 7:20pm  

WineHorror1 says
No, they won't be fired, they'll just be put on unpaid leave.

I dunno. There is a pilot shortage right now and "unpaid leave" pilots would be near impossible to replace.
25   GNL   2021 Oct 12, 7:38pm  

HeadSet says
WineHorror1 says
No, they won't be fired, they'll just be put on unpaid leave.

I dunno. There is a pilot shortage right now and "unpaid leave" pilots would be near impossible to replace.

I have to ask if the government and the big Corporations don't, in fact, care much if the economy goes to shit.
Does anyone think any "important" person is going to go hungry or lose any sleep over their comfort or safety?
26   komputodo   2021 Oct 13, 7:25am  

HeadSet says
I dunno. There is a pilot shortage right now and "unpaid leave" pilots would be near impossible to replace.

Why would they care? Their reward for following the narrative will be a massive bailout for management and shareholders...win win
27   HeadSet   2021 Oct 13, 8:13am  

komputodo says
HeadSet says
I dunno. There is a pilot shortage right now and "unpaid leave" pilots would be near impossible to replace.

Why would they care? Their reward for following the narrative will be a massive bailout for management and shareholders...win win

Good point.
31   Patrick   2021 Oct 14, 2:09pm  

https://alexberenson.substack.com/p/the-not-so-friendly-skies/comments


The not-so-friendly skies
Alex Berenson 7 hr ago
Get ready for turbulence ahead.

Yesterday American Airlines had almost 300 of its flights canceled, almost 10 percent of its total schedule, far more than ANY other carrier in the United States (Southwest remains second), and another 673 delayed. It is no doubt purely coincidental that I have heard from multiple pilots at American this week and that its pilot forums are filled with anger at the vaccine mandate.

It is also no doubt a coincidence that Delta - which has had far fewer problems than the other big carriers - has been the only one NOT to impose a vaccine mandate.

Meanwhile, though they still insist last weekend’s meltdown had nothing - NOTHING, I TELL YOU - to do with their vaccine mandate, Southwest’s executives have dramatically changed their rhetoric about said mandate. ...

I leave you with this email from yesterday:

I‘m a paid subscriber and thankful to be so. I’m also a pilot and fly international routes. On our trip back today from Europe to one of the airports in Texas we heard quite a bit of chatter on the 121.5 emergency frequency we always monitor. We figured out that it was people saying “Let’s go Brandon” and in some cases something worse

😀
And we heard this most of the way after crossing the Canadian border. In my 20+ year the frequency has always remained silent. Not today.
32   HeadSet   2021 Oct 14, 4:26pm  

Patrick says
we heard quite a bit of chatter on the 121.5

121.5 is the civilian "Guard" channel that all aircraft are required to listen to at all times while flying. Rarely used. Stuff like a control tower calling a plane that is not on the correct frequency like "82 X-Ray, Houston on Guard, please contact tower on 122.6." Of course, everyone hears that and knows you goofed.
33   Patrick   2021 Oct 17, 5:50pm  

https://www.ntd.com/southwest-airlines-asks-court-to-reject-effort-to-block-covid-19-vaccine-mandate_689922.html?utm_source=patrick.net&utm_medium=patrick.net&utm_campaign=patrick.net


Earlier this month, the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA) filed a lawsuit to prevent the carrier from mandating that all its workers get vaccinated. The union asserts that Southwest, which last week experienced thousands of flight cancelations and delays, illegally changed work rules instead of negotiating with them.


But now Southwest is fighting its own pilots' union.
34   Patrick   2021 Oct 18, 6:04pm  

https://www.theepochtimes.com/mkt_breakingnews/hundreds-of-southwest-workers-protest-covid-19-vaccination-mandates-at-airlines-headquarters_4054830.html?utm_source=patrick.net&utm_medium=patrick.net&utm_campaign=patrick.net


Hundreds of Southwest Workers Protest COVID-19 Vaccination Mandates at Airline’s Headquarters
BY JACK PHILLIPS October 18, 2021

Hundreds of Southwest Airlines employees protested outside the carrier’s headquarters in Dallas against the pending COVID-19 vaccine mandate, according to footage posted online.
35   Patrick   2021 Oct 19, 12:50pm  

https://www.theepochtimes.com/mkt_breakingnews/southwest-airlines-backs-off-plan-to-put-unvaccinated-employees-on-unpaid-leave_4057068.html?utm_source=patrick.net&utm_medium=patrick.net&utm_campaign=patrick.net


Southwest Airlines Backs Off Plan to Put Unvaccinated Employees on Unpaid Leave
BY JACK PHILLIPS October 19, 2021

Southwest Airlines told its employees that it will delay a plan to place workers who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 on unpaid leave if they haven’t yet obtained a medical or religious exemption.
37   HeadSet   2021 Oct 20, 1:10pm  

Patrick says
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/10/southwest-caves-scraps-plan-put-unvaccinated-workers-paid-leave-pilots-protest-covid-vax-mandate/

Not a real victory:
Southwest Airlines has scrapped a plan to put unvaccinated employees who have applied for but haven’t received a religious or medical exemption on unpaid leave starting by a federal deadline in December.

This only helps those who applied for a religious or medical exemption, and then only if the exemption is later approved.
38   NuttBoxer   2021 Oct 20, 1:32pm  

It's a step in the right direction. The bigger story is Delta deciding not to mandate at all. The tide is turning.
39   Patrick   2021 Oct 20, 2:53pm  

HeadSet says
This only helps those who applied for a religious or medical exemption, and then only if the exemption is later approved.



It is offensive that they could even "investigate" your religious beliefs and maybe deny your exemption.
40   porkchopXpress   2021 Oct 20, 3:04pm  

Patrick says
It is offensive that they could even "investigate" your religious beliefs and maybe deny your exemption.
This is why I made my exemption about my "religion of one", and unrelated to organized religion at all. Then you don't need anyone to vouch for your beliefs and it's all within your control.
41   Automan Empire   2021 Oct 20, 3:07pm  

I know this won't help in the context of a bureaucracy, but claiming religious exemption might bother me more as an atheist than it would if I was genuinely religious.

My position is that I don't want to take the Covid vaccine... for RATIONAL and OBJECTIVE reasons. That's how I would sell it to authority figures and co-workers. Being self-employed, I personally lack these audiences.
42   Patrick   2021 Oct 20, 3:13pm  

porkchopexpress says
This is why I made my exemption about my "religion of one", and unrelated to organized religion at all.


I agree with that.

You own personal beliefs are your personal religion. No one needs any "authority" to validate their beliefs.
43   Patrick   2021 Oct 20, 3:14pm  

Automan Empire says
My position is that I don't want to take the Covid vaccine... for RATIONAL and OBJECTIVE reasons.


But people with the power to fire you don't care about your rational and objective reasons.
44   Shaman   2021 Oct 20, 3:15pm  

My wife just got her religious exemption approved. She identified as a Christian, but not any sort of sect or denomination. She just stated her beliefs and her reasons for them keeping it very much in the realm of personal beliefs and leaving science, fears, and politics completely out of it. And she was approved, which is good because she would have let her six figure job go rather than get jabbed.
45   AmericanKulak   2021 Oct 20, 4:47pm  

Patrick says
You own personal beliefs are your personal religion. No one needs any "authority" to validate their beliefs.


We allow people to avoid armed service because of convictions, religious or otherwise. Why wouldn't we do the same for the vaccinated?
46   Automan Empire   2021 Oct 20, 5:39pm  

Shaman says
She just stated her beliefs (snip) And she was approved,


That's great news, glad it worked out for her and you.

There are lots of tradeoffs to being your own boss, but not having to follow Covid mandates has been one of the few benefits I've really been able to enjoy out of it lately.
47   Patrick   2021 Oct 22, 12:04pm  

Patrick says
Not a real victory:
Southwest Airlines has scrapped a plan to put unvaccinated employees who have applied for but haven’t received a religious or medical exemption on unpaid leave starting by a federal deadline in December.

This only helps those who applied for a religious or medical exemption, and then only if the exemption is later approved.


Ture, it doesn't seem to be all that much of a victory:

https://www.thehealthyamerican.org/


Dear Awesome Peggy !
I LOVE YOU. You are famous here at Southwest airlines and we all love you. You have done us all such a great service. We are all Angry and deflated. Even the pro Vax crowd is outraged at the mandate. Your video changed the companies position slightly. They softened there posture on the exemptions. Un paid leave has been removed! If the exemption is denied we can change it up and re submit it. Now if we miss the deadline we are still allowed to work until it's approved. It is my understanding that you are responsible for that for us. I know of a handful of my co workers whose job you have saved. Prior to your video they were just going to go ahead and be terminated. The companies previous stance left them with no hope for an exemption, being so deflated they just threw in the towel and gave up.
If you ever need a friend. You have thousands over here .
God bless you!!!
SOUTHWEST AIRLINES MECHANIC
48   HeadSet   2021 Oct 22, 12:32pm  

Are Penitentiary inmates required to get jabbed? Or would that be considered trampling their rights?
49   Eric Holder   2021 Oct 22, 12:50pm  

HeadSet says
Are Penitentiary inmates required to get jabbed? Or would that be considered trampling their rights?


No idea about inmates, but prison guard in CA are required to be vaxxed. The mandate is imposed by a judge who ruled that coof transmission from a guard to a prisoner would amount to cruel and unusual punishment.
50   Onvacation   2021 Oct 22, 1:05pm  

HeadSet says
Penitentiary inmates required to get jabbed?

Only if they want to stay in prison.
51   Patrick   2021 Oct 27, 9:22pm  

Eric Holder says
The mandate is imposed by a judge who ruled that coof transmission from a guard to a prisoner would amount to cruel and unusual punishment.



But the vaxx doesn't stop transmission of the virus at all. It seems to accelerate it.
52   rigidmember   2021 Oct 28, 3:57am  

Eric Holder says
HeadSet says
Are Penitentiary inmates required to get jabbed? Or would that be considered trampling their rights?


No idea about inmates, but prison guard in CA are required to be vaxxed. The mandate is imposed by a judge who ruled that coof transmission from a guard to a prisoner would amount to cruel and unusual punishment.


Newsom is trying to stop the mandate for prison guards but pushing it hard on kids. Typical hypocrite Dem, he can fuck himself.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-09-24/newsom-covid-19-vaccines-prison-guards?_amp=true
53   RWSGFY   2021 Oct 28, 8:18am  

Patrick says
Eric Holder says
The mandate is imposed by a judge who ruled that coof transmission from a guard to a prisoner would amount to cruel and unusual punishment.



But the vaxx doesn't stop transmission of the virus at all. It seems to accelerate it.


Why use logic when you can BELIEVE IN SCIENCE?
54   Automan Empire   2021 Oct 28, 8:59am  

I caught part of a radio news segment that was something about an airline grounding vaxxed pilots because of clot and stroke risk. Hoping to find more information.
55   Automan Empire   2021 Oct 28, 10:59am  

Did a little digging, now that I had time after posting the above teaser. Here's what I found on the FAA's website.


The Federal Air Surgeon determined that FAA medical certificate holders may not act as pilot in command, or in any other capacity as a required flightcrew member, for 48 hours after each dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. The Federal Air Surgeon made this determination after evaluation of available medical information about these COVID-19 vaccines and potential side effects. As a result of this determination and consistent with 14 CFR § 61.53(a), each person subject to part 67 who receives the vaccine must wait 48 hours after each dose before acting as pilot in command or as a required flightcrew member.

In the event that an FAA medical certificate holder experiences side effects after the 48-hour period has elapsed, the medical certificate holder may not act as pilot in command, or in any other capacity as a required flightcrew member as described at 14 CFR § 61.53(a) for the duration of the symptoms.



https://www.faa.gov/coronavirus/guidance_resources/vaccine_faq/
56   WookieMan   2021 Oct 28, 11:31am  

Automan Empire says
Did a little digging, now that I had time after posting the above teaser. Here's what I found on the FAA's website.


The Federal Air Surgeon determined that FAA medical certificate holders may not act as pilot in command, or in any other capacity as a required flightcrew member, for 48 hours after each dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. The Federal Air Surgeon made this determination after evaluation of available medical information about these COVID-19 vaccines and potential side effects. As a result of this determination and consistent with 14 CFR § 61.53(a), each person subject to part 67 who receives the vaccine must wait 48 hours after each dose before acting as pilot in command or as a required flightcrew member.

In the event that an FAA medical certificate holder experiences side effects after the 48-hour period has elapsed, the medical certificate holder may not act as pilot in command, or in any other capacity as...

I know a stroke will ground your pilot career in most cases forever. Even a minor one. I for sure wouldn't want to be on a flight with a pilot that's stroked out before. Their livelihood relies on them passing a medical 1-2 times per year as headset corrected me in a previous comment or thread based on age.

If there's even a 0.1% chance of a side effect, I'm not taking it. I'd get Covid and sit home for 2 weeks. If I get the jab, there's a possibility I lose my job I worked a long time for in the snap of a finger because of a mundane virus and have a minor stroke or heart attack.

A pilot that has covid and flies a plane and passes it onto passengers is a joke. It's not going to happen. If it does happen, masks clearly don't work along with air filtration. The logic is insane right now. There's 100% zero reason for a pilot to get vaccinated. It's not a sudden onset virus. You feel off, you call in sick.

AIDS is different, but no one knew early on how it was transmitted. We're still in the early stages. Pilots fly almost daily. I'm up to 22 one way flights in an enclosed tube and haven't gotten covid. Anecdotal, yes. Reality, yes. Covid is pure bullshit besides those fat and old. Gotta save those fat fucks and destroy the economy and supply chain.
57   HeadSet   2021 Oct 28, 7:18pm  

WookieMan says
Covid is pure bullshit besides those fat and old.

Actually, only a danger to the fat or the very old. Non-obese folk 70 and under face little risk from Covid.
58   Patrick   2021 Oct 30, 5:50pm  

https://boriquagato.substack.com/p/kitten-corner-hurricane-brandon/comments


kitten corner: hurricane brandon
gatito bueno 2 hr ago
57
i am just a kitten and not a meteorologist or anything, but is it maybe striking anyone else as weird how many weather events lately seem to affect only one airline at a time?

because it seems kinda odd.

do you think it might be climate change?

@disclosetv
JUST IN - American Airlines has canceled more than 1,000 flights since Friday, citing staffing problems and "high winds" (CNBC)
October 30th 2021

1,464 Retweets 5,031 Likes

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