With a “yes” vote of 89%, TWU Local 556 Flight Attendants approved a new fouryear contract with Southwest Airlines. A tentative agreement was reached in March. Voting was by electronic ballot.

Although the negotiations weren’t as contentious as the last time around, Local 556 President Thom McDaniel said they presented their own challenge because of the severe economic downturn. Nevertheless, union negotiators were able to obtain 3% raises in each of the first three years, while a raise in the fourth year will depend on company performance. The contract, which covers close to 10,000 Flight Attendants, is retroactive to June 2008 and runs through May 2012.

Southwest also agreed to increase contributions to workers’ retirement funds and 401(k)s. In a message to members, McDaniel said, “At the end of the process and considering our industry-leading status and the daunting economic challenges, we had to prioritize what was most important and, of course, our negotiating committee stood strong and prevailed against any economic concessions or minimum flying requirement. That being said, you can be sure that our union will continue to work with Southwest Airlines to improve our quality of life even outside negotiations.”

McDaniel credited the contract education team with creating the best atmosphere for negotiations. “We would have never made it to this point so quickly without an informed and involved membership.”