Pilots to Picket Outside Southwest Airlines' Shareholders Meeting and Midway Airport

WHAT:
Southwest Airlines Pilots' Informational Picket

WHEN: 
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
9 a.m. – 12 p.m. (Downtown - Congress Plaza Hotel)
1:30 p.m. – 3 p.m. (Midway Airport)

WHERE: 
Outside the Congress Plaza Hotel, 520 S. Michigan Avenue (9 a.m. – 12 p.m.)
Midway Airport (Cicero at 61st) (1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.)

WHO: 
Visual - Hundreds of uniformed pilots from Southwest Airlines
Captain Jon Weaks – SWAPA President; Captain Mike Panebianco – Vice President

WHY: 
Southwest Airlines pilots have been without an acceptable contract since 2012. During that time, shareholders have been rewarded with $3.1 billion in stock buybacks while the pilot group has not had a raise since 2011.

After nearly four years of negotiations, SWAPA has decided to demonstrate their collective displeasure to management, the flying public, and Southwest Airlines shareholders. Four years, particularly during a time of record profits, is far too long for a company known for its "LUV" to not provide a worthy contract offer to its operational front-line leaders – the pilots.                        

Located in Dallas, Texas, the Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association (SWAPA) is a non-profit employee organization representing the more than 8,300 pilots of Southwest Airlines. SWAPA works to provide a secure and rewarding career for Southwest pilots and their families through negotiating contracts, defending contractual rights and actively promoting professionalism and safety. For more information on the Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association, visit www.swapa.org.  

CONTACT:  Neal Hanks
Director of Communications
214-722-4209, nhanks@swapa.org

/PRNewswire-USNewswire -- May 11, 2016/

SOURCE Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association