"I will be writing my Union today to enforce the fact that I, as a dues paying member only support this if it is going to be beneficial to me, my fellow union pilots and my company."
As much as we all want to think that we have control over this process, the fact of the matter is WE DON"T. Do you think Kelly called SWAPA and asked how they felt about the bid? Do you think SWAPA or FAPA or the IBT will be determining the terms of the auction?
Look, I obviously have a stake in this game as do you, but take a look at this from my perspective.
You want to "benefit" from this acquisition, and I don't blame you.
You want this to be "beneficial to me, my fellow union pilots and my company". Please consider the following;
If SWA prevails in the auction, DEN will immediately become your largest city in terms of daily departures. It took SWA over 27 years to achieve 233 departures daily in LAS. You can exceed that capacity in Denver after only serving the market 3 years.
You will capture lucrative international routes and have the ability to feed those routes, greatly expanding your market-share even in cities that do not currently offer service to Mexico, Alaska(yes I know this not international), Canada, and Costa Rica.
You will be able to provide a service (international ops), within your own pilot group (assuming FAPA Pilots are integrated) that your own airline currently does not provide and currently wants to farm out to a third party (or two third parties).
You will grow your entire operation by over 10%, instantly.
You and I both know that SWA is currently offering buy-outs and planning on shrinking 5-6% this year alone.
You obtain "A" concourse.
You obtain LGA, DCA, and other coveted slots.
Benefit?
If SWA prevails, there will be innumerable benefits for the entire organization.
An inconvenient result of this growth and prosperity for your company could be the integration of 700 professionals or the loss of 700 careers. But, again, we will have little to say on that result.
I hope to fly with you someday, either in the jumpseat commuting to work or as a fellow crewmember.