And so it begins...

[drinksonme]

Honestly I am not happy about this and hoped I would never see this day, but the LUV is not felt anymore.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/6b8c...west-bag-workers-picketing-over-flight-delays

 

[Nindiri]

Ehh...Bag handlers can be replaced. It doesn't exactly take a lot of training to sling bags. If they aren't happy with their pay, let them go find someone else that pays unskilled labor so well as SW.

 

[flyingitalian]

Nice attitude about fellow Union employees. They have actually produced data showing their productivity advantages over the stations that Swa has contacted out.

Be careful, pretty soon someone might say to you, "eeee why do we have to pay you 12,000 a month when we can get an Indian/ Chinese pilot for 2000 a month." Watch out for that karma.

 

[SpauldingSmails]

"Hey, there's a loose thread on your sweater."

"I'm not gonna worry about it, it's in the armpit."

 

[StopNTSing]

Honestly I am not happy about this and hoped I would never see this day, but the LUV is not felt anymore.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/6b8c...west-bag-workers-picketing-over-flight-delays

If you think this is the first time a labor group at SWA has engaged in informational picketing, then you haven't been paying much attention.

 

[flythere]

Good luck with that, hell they can't even find qualified pilots within their own country, why are they paying US pilots so much to fly in China and India??

 

[waveflyer]

"Hey, there's a loose thread on your sweater."

"I'm not gonna worry about it, it's in the armpit."

Well said^^^

Ditto the karma

 

[Nindiri]

There is no karma.

 

[T-1GUY]

Good luck with that, hell they can't even find qualified pilots within their own country, why are they paying US pilots so much to fly in China and India??

There are numerous flight schools here in the US that are cranking out Chinese students in great numbers. It is a huge business. Be careful, karma is a bitch..

 

[waveflyer]

China has a billion more people than the U.S. Plus the population of Texas.
Their middle class isn't like ours, but it is finally growing -
Every 1% of their population that joins the middle class is another 14 million people who need and want air service.
India has 1.27 billion people. Just a tiny mountain range away.
Those pilots are needed at their home. It's not cockiness, it's A fact that our pilots post 9/11 standard of living is some of the lowest in the world and in aviation history.
There was a lag, but the idea that there are tens of thousands lining up to fly in the United states for less just isn't bearing out anymore.

 

[whymeworry?]

India pilot pay is near US pilot pay parity anyway (certainly nowhere near $2,000, even for new-hire F/Os). I have a few friends who fly for big airlines there. We're always comparing contracts. We have some better attributes and so do they. But they save waaaaaaaay more than we do because India aviator pay is higher than physicians in many cases (granted, not all), yet most of their society is still dirt poor. The little things in life are ridiculously cheap, usually 10-20x cheaper that Stateside (example, haircut is 80 cents). Everyone has drivers, cooks, nannies, etc too so they never waste leisure time doing household work. Meals are always ready, homes always spotless and clean, and they party w/o stress because driver picks them up for the club in their personal BMW.

Still, I'd take living in the US over India any day. No comparison besides the hired help and other accoutrements.

 

[SpauldingSmails]

I saw the anti-SWA "lost luggage ad" that the ramp personell's union took out in the USA Today. It was rather pointed, especially toward GK , but I'm not sure about the tone of the message. I'll try and summarize from what I remember of the text.

We used to lose very little luggage, now we lose a lot more bags. GK is a meanie and we don't like how he runs things because he's concerned about profits and not us. We handle your luggage, but it's GKs fault, not ours. SWA is making lots of money - so give us a raise. Hope you get your baggage.

 

[humveedriver]

I saw the anti-SWA "lost luggage ad" that the ramp personell's union took out in the USA Today. It was rather pointed, especially toward GK , but I'm not sure about the tone of the message. I'll try and summarize from what I remember of the text.

We used to lose very little luggage, now we lose a lot more bags. GK is a meanie and we don't like how he runs things because he's concerned about profits and not us. We handle your luggage, but it's GKs fault, not ours. SWA is making lots of money - so give us a raise. Hope you get your baggage.

The baggage folks, FA's and pilots are all in the same boat. Already well compensated pay wise, but steadily losing financial ground in health care costs, COLA and taxes. The company wants part time station operations, minimum block hours flown for FA's and scope/code relief from the pilots. That's where the rubber meets the road. As the stalemate continues, they will continue to chip away at our current contracts through company controlled items until, they absolutely need relief or work groups give in.

 

[waveflyer]

I saw the anti-SWA "lost luggage ad" that the ramp personell's union took out in the USA Today. It was rather pointed, especially toward GK , but I'm not sure about the tone of the message. I'll try and summarize from what I remember of the text.

We used to lose very little luggage, now we lose a lot more bags. GK is a meanie and we don't like how he runs things because he's concerned about profits and not us. We handle your luggage, but it's GKs fault, not ours. SWA is making lots of money - so give us a raise. Hope you get your baggage.

Less staffing on more connects, same ole technology on more connecting flights, and bigger airplanes on same or less staffing. Throw in a couple of events where they didn't hit the severe weather program even close to on time, and there are legitimate complaints -
I promise I'm a kool aid drinker, but I do like to deal in reality.

 

[Raoul Duke]

Comparing baggage handlers with other groups especially crews is absurd

 

[MECH]

Wow, that is exactly what CEO's say about us. Why would we compare our compensation with them!

 

[BornAgainPagan]

Comparing baggage handlers with other groups especially crews is absurd

What an elitist. Why don't you learn some history about unions and solidarity and check in again once you're caught up.

 

[humveedriver]

What an elitist. Why don't you learn some history about unions and solidarity and check in again once you're caught up.

Like I said. We are all in the same boat. We all have a certain something in our current contracts management has deemed to be the priority.

 

[pilotyip]

There is only so much money coming into a company, to maintain profits at the proper level and when revenue is not growing as fast as expenses cuts have to be made some place.

 

[PCL_128]

There is only so much money coming into a company, to maintain profits at the proper level and when revenue is not growing as fast as expenses cuts have to be made some place.

You might want to do a little research about how much money is being made before you spout off your anti-union, defeatist garbage.