If you decide you want to go customer service, flight attendant, or another position outside the union contract your pay grade and seniority will reset and you have to be in your current position for a year in order to transfer. You keep your seniority and pay grade if you transfer at any time to any of those three. So you can transfer to any of those positions after 6 months and your off probation. Provisioning, Operations agents (OPS, the people who scan tickets at the gates, and Ramp agents are all under the same union. Plus you pretty much stay out of the elements, you’re in your truck or inside the plane loading / stocking. You literally drive a big truck up to the plane, and load the snacks and drinks and ice, sometimes mop/clean but other than that you work on your own, and do your own thing. If you see a provo position posted take that. But I only plan to work it for the 6 months and get off probation and then transfer positions. The only position that was available to me at the time here in DEN was ramp. Even if you just use the ramp as a stepping stone. Southwest is a really good company to work for. However if you’re at a smaller station that does less than 10 flights a day more than likely those stations are not unionized. There is so many little things that I still keep finding out about. You don’t have to show up to any part of that shift that falls in that 10 hour window but you will still get paid for those hours. 10 hour rest rule where if you’re mando’d within 10 hours of your regular shift you’re entitled to a 10 hour rest window. Stayed 5 minutes past your off time to help a supervisor out? The minimum they have to pay you for is. For example, didn’t get a lunch? You get paid. There are so many little bonuses and pluses to being in a union. But if you can stick it through your first year or two, you’ve got a solid company to work for. If you decide to join, it’ll be tough at first. Very rarely does bad weather shut the ramp down with the exclusion of lightning. Cold, heat, rain, shine, the operations continue on. Keep in mind as a ramp agent, you’re working outside in the elements. You can transfer stations or positions within your union after 6 months and you’re off probation. We are currently in union negotiations so this is expected to increase in the next year or two. Right now with current union negotiations you can top out around $33 an hour after just ten years I believe. On Christmas and thanksgiving if you work you get paid triple time ($40/hr). However you get paid double time ($30/hr) for any mando shift or extension. When you first join the company your seniority is low, so you’re the first to get hit with things like mandatory overtime. As your seniority goes up from being with the company longer you get first pick from the schedules. You bid for your schedules either on a monthly or 2 month basis. As long as you can find someone to trade with or give away to you can do whatever you want. The possibilities and shift flexibility is amazing at southwest. We have people that’ll give away all their shifts in a month and work every other month. We have people working double buddy bids where they’ll work a double 3 days in a row and 4 days off. this is easier in a larger station (Denver for example). This company is extremely flexible with shift trading, giving away, etc. Very decent insurnace, free flights (on a stand by basis), pet insurnace, and much more. You get a 9.3% (I think? Might be higher?) 401k match which is quite competitive. The benefits are killer compared to other airlines. You’re technically not considered a union member until you’re out of probation (6 months). There are union dues once you’re off probation. This offers you a lot of protections and job security. As a ramp agent you’re unionized, as others have mentioned. Firstly, what station (airport)? Experiences can vary widely depending on what station you’re at.
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