Single Representation at SWA/AirTran

[PCL_128]

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned it yet, but the ATN MEC sent out an email yesterday saying that they are petitioning the NMB to declare a single transportation system at SWA/AirTran to make SWAPA the single bargaining agent. No mention in the resolution of SWAPA supporting it. Any word from the other side of the partition on what SWAPA thinks of all this?

 

[Saluki Dawg]

I can't speak for SWAPA, but I personally think it's overdue. In less than a year from now, AirTran will no longer exist. It's time to move forward as a single labor group united in getting an industry leading contract in 2014.

 

[PCL_128]

I'm a bit undecided (despite my obvious support of ALPA). While I don't really trust SWAPA as far as I can throw them, they are negotiating the contract that all AirTran pilots will be living under, so it would be helpful for our guys to have a voice in that. I'll be gone before the NMB even renders a decision, most likely, but I could really go either way on this one.

 

[Kingwood]

Airtran pilots are our brothers and sisters now...while we have our 2%ers, the other 98% will not tolerate them getting bent over by SWAPA or SWA.

 

[Luv2BFlyin]

Fortunately, by the time this all comes out in the wash, hopefully the majority of our pilots will be across the partition. The most difficult issue in the short term will be SWAPA administering a contract they are not familiar with.

Once we are all represented by SWAPA, will we all be allowed to vote on any pending ballots even if we are still on the AT side of the partition?

 

[HowardBorden]

How would this even work? I understand having a single bargaining agent and representation, but that is not what we are talking about. How can SWAPA represent a group covered under a different CBA, and why would you really want them to? It seems that the current ALPA representation would be much more effective in administering the ALPA contract than SWAPA would. The learning curve would be huge and by the time SWAPA came up to speed the ALPA contract will cease to exist.

 

[scoreboardII]

You can't have SWAPA run AT ALPAs contract.

The only reasonable alternative is for AT pilots to vote SWAPA as their union, and then they become SWAPA. Even if they stay on the AT they will then be under SWAPA contract with SWA, other than previously agreed upon SLI issues. So there may be pay and scheduling issues using old AT contract, SWAPA could then fight the fight without there being a conflict of interest.

I don't see how SWA will want to accomplish this, as it will cost them money.

 

[Just thinking]

I would not expect much from SWAPA. They don't have a dog in the fight. They have already demonstrated (in the letter from the HOU representative) that they don't support the lance captain program because it would benefit the FAT pilots since they will be the senior folks in bases.
As an side note.... I do not think that the lance captain program is subversive to the seniority list and I think it needs to go away. What I do not support is the leadership of the union differentiating between dues paying pilots and a willingness to sacrifice a certain demographic because they are FAT pilots.
Is that the kind of support you are looking for?

 

[PCL_128]

The only reasonable alternative is for AT pilots to vote SWAPA as their union, and then they become SWAPA. Even if they stay on the AT they will then be under SWAPA contract with SWA, other than previously agreed upon SLI issues.

That's not how it works.

 

[PCL_128]

The CBA issues actually aren't that big of a deal. All SWAPA would really need to do is get some of our old contract compliance, grievance, or negotiating people to assist with administering the AirTran contract.