What is this "Brandon" stuff? Who is it for? I see a lot of people saying it.

Is it like a "Karen?"

People were shouting "F*** Joe biden" and the news reported it as "let's go Brandon" live on scene.

Oh. That is so silly.

Party On -595vd4.jpg (click to show) - Upvote for you!

my pilot is attempting guys, he just doesnt know the trick yet

https://www.swapa.org/news/2021/press-release/
***************
October 09, 2021
SWAPA is aware of operational difficulties affecting Southwest Airlines today due to a number of issues, but we can say with confidence that our Pilots are not participating in any official or unofficial job actions.

Our Pilots will continue to overcome SWA management’s poor planning, as well as any external operational challenges, and remain the most productive Pilots in the world. They will continue to be focused on their highest priority — safety. SWAPA Pilots are true professionals and will always maintain the highest level of responsibility to their crews, their passengers, and our airline.
***************

Any source on this being a strike? Pilots forming a picket line? Issuing a statement?

Yeah, those "company" statements would be more convincing if they didn't first start off blaming the weather...that affected only one airline.

I'm sure there was at least one grounding or reschedule due to weather so they decided to include it in their excuse, ignoring the fact that it wasn't really the reason.

Look at the second paragraph of the SWAPA statement "Our Pilots will continue to overcome SWA management’s poor planning, as well as any external operational challenges, and remain the most productive Pilots in the world."

I don't know how SW messed up, but it was something extremely embarrassing or they would have admitted it. Maybe they overbooked? Accidentally approved vacation time? Didn't schedule mandatory down time for pilots? I'm sure we'll find out eventually. But a vaccine strike? Nah, the pilots would have been loud about that sort of thing.

On Oct. 8, 2021, Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA) filed a motion for temporary and preliminary injunctive relief in its ongoing lawsuit with Southwest Airlines, Co., initially filed on Aug. 30, 2021. The original complaint asserts the airlines are in violation of the Railway Labor Act (RLA), among other things, Sec. 6, which requires the parties to maintain “status quo” until a new agreement is reached. The lawsuit maintains that the carrier can not alter pay rates, rules, and working conditions until a new agreement is reached. Friday’s filing, seeking an immediate hearing, declares:

“Most recently, on Oct. 4, 2021, Southwest Airlines unilaterally rolled out a new and non-negotiated COVID vaccine mandate for all employees, including SWAPA. The new vaccine mandate unlawfully imposes new conditions of employment, and the new policy threatens termination of any pilot not fully vaccinated by Dec. 8, 2021. Southwest Airlines’ additional new and unilateral modifications of the parties’ collective bargaining agreement is in clear violation of the RLA.”

This happened right before everything went south.

Not disputing the disagreement, but both the company and union spokesperson say that wasn't the cause.

https://www.npr.org/2021/10/12/1045380589/southwest-airlines-says-delays-and-cancellations-werent-caused-by-a-prote

There were storms and FAA travel advisories on Friday in Florida. "about half of Southwest planes go into or out of Florida each day. The FAA says it was short staffed at an air traffic control center in Jacksonville for a few hours, but all other airlines had to contend with that, too, and they recovered by midday Saturday. Southwest, meanwhile, had its worst day for delays and cancellations Sunday. And Henry Harteveldt says one reason is because, unlike its hub-and-spoke competitors, Southwest planes and flight crews fly from one city to another and to another."

https://www.clickorlando.com/weather/2021/10/08/stormy-evening-night-expected-across-central-florida/

Its a coincidence. This disagreement could lead to a strike, but according to what I read the disagreement isn't whether the pilots will get vaccinated, but they want caveats for long term disability added to the contract in the event the pilots are unable to pass a medical exam after the vaccine.

Lol. Good meme template.

It could be lies but suspicions aren't evidence. But frustratingly, some people seem to prefer vague suspicions.

Every airline flying outta Florida was still flying. A lot of speculation on all of this right now, so it's good for memes. The union won't claim a strike because there isn't an official strike. What is claimed is that pilots and staff are using paid leave and PTO all at the same time to send a message. But it will be a bit before anyone can verify that. Right now, I can't find any words from pilots or staff themselves, probably because to mention that this was intentional would open them up to getting fired. Anyone's guess. The whole "weather" argument is just to keep SW from paying for all the cancellations. Weather is unpredictable, but company issues aren't a reason to refuse a refund.

so why didn't southwest blame unions?

Why did they blame the weather when every other airline was flying in the same hubs? Blaming unions means paying every customer back for their flights, blaming weather means no refund...millions saved.

so it's free market economics, not biden. check mate.

Free market would be to give the refunds to instill confidence in your company's honesty.

"free market means they don't have to.

what you're talking about is communism.

then again corporations ARE small communist countries."

Idiot. You are describing communism which is when an incompetent government forces people to do things against their own best interest.

free market means they don't have to.

what you're talking about is communism.

then again corporations ARE small communist countries.

Lol... Whatever helps you sleep.

I suppose its possible, but I haven't even seen an anonymous source saying that it was a PTO strike. I don't know what SW's union is like, but I'm thinking it would actually hurt negotiations.

The hub and spoke thing makes sense though. Every other airline I've flown has planes flying the same route back and forth. If there are delays, it impacts that region and you might end up with flights elsewhere impacted to a degree. But if southwest planes just keep flying and there are a bunch of stops in Florida, its like old Christmas lights. You break the circuit and they all go out. In theory, they should have been able to reroute and change things up, but that would have been a lot of logistics and apparently they were unprepared.

Or its all lies, but if so they are lies that make them look like idiots and is probably the worst advertising they could have.