I wonder that too SWA/FO. With a family at home, I would be lying if I said Ive been sleeping well.
I've had several of my AAI friends tell me the same thing. I wish the AAI MEC had chosen a different path for your members, it sounds like that is a similar wish among others at AAI now.
To accomplish a negotiated settlement vs. arbitrated (not desired by any party), SWA has reached out and asked for an extension. We know what ALPA has said but there is time between now and when AAI & SWA pilots meet in Sept for action on the part of AAI pilots to let their wishes be known and alter the course your current leaders have chosen.
SWA pilots can't make the changes necessary within AAI ALPA and some might argue there is not time nor the horsepower to overcome the internal union obstructions in making a change to the decision to not extend pilot to pilot negotiations. I hope that is not the case but your fate is in your own hands.
IMHO, AAI pilots best chance at getting a resolution/new SLI AIP (less than SL9 obviously) is to use the time between now and those dates to affect internal change at your union to get the ship back on course.
I don't wish any of the AAI pilots to have the angst they have in their lives right now....I've never been in a position of a furlough, possible job loss or a loss of seniority such as all of your members are facing. I won't insult anyone by saying I know how you feel, I don't.
My hope is that AAI pilots will join SWA as soon as possible and understand the fate of doing so lies solely in your hands at this point. Allowing an arbitrator to decide will move it out of your hands and you will no longer have 100% guarantees of the future.
The same fork in the road occurred previously when the MEC decided for the AAI pilots to not accept the AIP; please don't have buyer's remorse for the second time by not taking the offer that GK has made for an extension in hopes of finding a negotiated settlement.
ALPA is doing you a disservice IMHO, read the two different versions of how the offer to extend discussions by SWA was reported by ALPA vs. SWAPA and then SWA. If two parties report it the same way and the third doesn't, who is "spinning" the facts? If they will spin the facts over such a small issue, imagine their willingness to spin facts on bigger issues.
If you believe this is fear mongering, that is not my intent; it simply stating the case in as simple of terms as possible in hopes to return some peace to your life and to your family.
Joining the SWA team will be a life changing and positive event for you all (most I should say, some can't be made happy regardless), we can all make the airline the strongest out there but your fate is back in your own hands, don't let it slip away again.
Best of luck to both pilot groups,