Southwest Guys

[Irishav8r]

never mind

 

[flynvixen]

Whackmaster at APC posted something. Take it for what it's worth.
http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/major/61661-airtran-southwest-aip-nutshell-12.html
Allow me to answer that! They want a STAPLE! No, seriously. If they could they would staple us all. Consider...........

- The last agreement, called AIP1, had 37% of our pilots STAPLED and 52% of our pilots in the bottom 10% of the newly combined list. Yeah, read that again and let those numbers sink in.

- It also featured a max relative seniority loss of 32% with an average loss for AAI pilots of 22%.

Fortunately, our MEC said "no way" and killed it by a 7-1 vote. Here's the part that all the SWA pilots need to read and have thoroughly sink in. Perhaps if I capitalize it'll help, because so far you guys just don't seem to get this little factoid. Here it goes...... THE REASON OUR MEC KILLED IT OVERWHELMINGLY WAS BECAUSE THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR PILOTS WERE AGAINST IT AND DEMANDED IT KILLED IMMEDIATELY. Did you get that SWA pilots? OUR MEC WAS DOING WHAT THE MEMBERSHIP WAS ASKING IT TO DO! Amazing, the Reps listening to the people they represent. What a concept.

It should also be noted that while our MEC voted against putting AIP1 out by a vote of 7-1, the SWAPA BOD voted 19-0 to put it out for a vote. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out which side the AIP grossly favored.

Fast forward to the last two or three days. Our Merger Committee returns to Dallas to meet with SWAPA and SWA management. It is immediately a less than friendly reception. In short order, the threats and intimidation commence. Here's the part that sickens me the most. Herb Kelleher and Colleen Barrett pay a little visit and they themselves threaten our MC with potential nonintegration if we don't accept the new schit sandwich that is laying infront of our MC. That part to me is so incredibly sad and disappointing. The two people who helped create the "Culture" are now threatening our MC. Flabbergasted folks. Simply flabbergasted.

More specifically, the threat was that IF this goes to arbitration and IF SWAPA subsequently puts up a fight because of the award (which goes w/o saying that they will), THEN we will not be integrated and instead will eventually be pieced out.

Wait, it gets better. Allow me to explain what's been slapped infront of us now by SWA management. The new and even worse deal now features a STAPLE of only 450 F/Os instead of the previous 650 (we currently have 1737 pilots), but now approximately 350 Cptns. are supposed to downgrade so 350 of their F/Os can upgrade. This will create 700 training cycles for which the money is supposed to come from delaying the AAI pilots transition to the SWA payscale.

Also, this new piece of crap that they're trying to force down our throats features no fences in ATL (AIP1 had a 10 yr fence), no first right to reupgrade for downgraded AAI Cptns. (so now when we lose our seats, instead of being able to upgrade as soon as the company starts upgrades again, we'll be forced to try and upgrade with our GREATLY erroded seniority numbers). There are also other protections that were erased from the "offer" compared to AIP1.

So there you have it. Our pilot group is now faced with an even worse offer and a management team that has teamed up with SWAPA to try and intimidate, strong-arm, bully, and scare us into accepting an SLI that will make us the laughing stock of the airline industry. The supposed alternative is that they will pull the application for a single SOC, run AirTran as a separate entity, and eventually part us out a la ATA.

Is this the Culture that we kept hearing about? Where the friggin' LUV? Perhaps the ONLY upside to this is that the fallacy that is the SWA Culture is being exposed for what it is. More specifically, we'll LUV you if you're on the inside, but we'll try and kill you if you're not and dare to say no to what we think is "fair and equitable".

Frankly SWA and SWAPA, your behavior and treatment of us has turned into a despicable and sickening display. It's immoral. None of us feel the LUV anymore and many of us are starting to realize that we will always be "former AirTran" even after integration.

To Oscar specifically and actually I suppose all SWA pilots, all we ever wanted was a reasonable SLI, followed by the two combined airlines kicking some serious tail, but SWAPA's arrogance and elitism and your management's bullying, intimidation, threatening and strong-arming have prevented that. Don't take my/our word for it. Look at what our peers in this profession are saying. EVERYBODY sees what's going on here but the SWA pilots.
Last edited by slaquer5; 3rd Sep 2011 at 16:07.



Good luck to all.

GMAFB will you please, our culture is what it is because we have been able to keep for the most part militant ALPA trash like you of the property. You took the typical ALPA road of reject all offers from the company, hold out for more go to court to get more than you are entitled to and if it still wont go your way burn the house down. You guys are getting way more than you should and frankly you all would not be happy until we were stapled to the bottom of your list.

I hope you fools got the message from Herb and crew that our company will not be driven by or into the ground by ALPA. If you fools want the typical ALPA, sit home and get paid to bitch and complain deal, get some paper out the one of the "really successful ALPA carriers" otherwise please STFU get on board do the job the company pays you to do.

I hope you guys vote no and see how good your life gets working for Texas sub corp until you are all on the street.........please vote no, stand your ground and fight to the bitter end please, do the real ALPA thing, hold hands and jump off the cliff together..........PLEASE VOTE NO

 

[canyonblue]

DAL/NWA comes to mind. When one group doesn't attempt to advance themselves at the cost of the other, its a lot easier to get things done.

That's how stupid you are, you're comparing two Airlines who were just in Bankruptcy, with two who have never been there. DAL/NWA is like Guatemala merging with El Salvador.

 

[Sacha]

That's how stupid you are, you're comparing two Airlines who were just in Bankruptcy, with two who have never been there. DAL/NWA is like Guatemala merging with El Salvador.

Absolutely one of the best posts I have ever read. I called a Northwest bud and he just about sh&@t his pants laughing so hard.

GOOD GODSPEED!!

 

[SWA/FO]

Godspeed jackass OY6!

 

[redflyer65]

Mach 3 Godspeed there OYS.....oh, and Fubag too.

 

[USAFftrplt]

Just because the first 250 jumped off the bridge dont mean the rest of you have to! This is America still right?

 

[e=mc2]

So to fill 1,700 jobs I guess all SWA will need to do is use 1/3 of applications they got last time the window was open. Leverage.

 

[redflyer65]

So to fill 1,700 jobs I guess all SWA will need to do is use 1/3 of applications they got last time the window was open. Leverage.

Or fly about 10% more..

 

[pilotyip]

We know nothing.

Not sure we can ever get some of these guys to stop talking about cars and boats though.

You are going to like it here.

What! no one talks about airplanes? doesn't anyone like to fly?