AirTran management pilots

[Lear70]

Exactly, MK, we know that many of your pilots, especially the "juniority", aren't happy about it.

I do, however, appreciate that all of you have been very professional in my encounters with you, and I strive to do the same, even being positive and friendly. Looking forward to many more years of enjoyable trips, frosty beverages, and new and fun overnight destinations.

Thanks for the welcome!

 

[freightdogfred]

Fred, just because we don't wear a One Luv lanyard doesn't mean we don't consider you family. I don't wear my SWAPA lanyard either but I support them. Attitude is a choice so choose wisely. With all sincerity, I welcome you to the family.

Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk

Then I give you a handshake, if it is indeed your true feelings. A point to ponder for the future for WN pilots is which FL pilots will you want next to you in the trenches, when the scrap begins for your section 6 talks? The ones who fought till the end for their number, or the bend-over Facebook crowd who folded like a cheap suit at the first sign of adversity?

Think about it.

 

[Kenney G]

Southwest Management built the expectation that we could go to Arbitration by signing the Process Agreement, specifically Paragraph 6.A - "...the resultant arbitrated list WILL be implemented and the lists merged." (paraphrased)

Lear hit it on the head here. The seniority list was not good. The two sides could not come to an agreement on what is fair so you have a Third party decide. That is the point of arbitration. I think that is your conspiracy theory right there. The reps felt arbitration was the best way to go. I hoped it would have. I'm not one who believes in the fear mongering.
The list would have been implemented and we all would have been fine.

 

[redflyer65]

We did have a third party decide, it just happened to be Gary Kelly. I'm not sure either of the other two parties really saw it coming.

As far as the lanyard...the Southwest pilots were never thrilled that we bought anyone. It had nothing to do with being anti-AAI, just anti- no internal growth. I suspect once the AAI guys come over and are part of group, they might feel the same way if Gary later decides to purchase JetBlue, etc.

Again, it's nothing against the AAI guys that we don't wear the lanyard.

 

[madjack]

AT get over yourselves...your company no longer exists, your seniority is now determined...you are not entitled to anything more/less...try being professional and we will all get along

 

[waveflyer]

That's not entirely fair Lear. GK Said specifically, and often, that he wanted a negotiated list. That as leaders, he did not want us to proceed to the full length of our process agreement.

Lear, AT pilots, did he, or did he not say that over and over?

And that was emphasized by us too, and dismissed by AT too. Bottom line, it wasn't a threat, so much as reality that integrating AT gets much less profitable if every single employee group draws out their SLI to the length of their PAs. We were following the PA, and he wanted a PA in case swapa turned down the negotiated list- but this is a PRO-ACTIVE company. GK wasn't going to let this get to Usair status- and that's a good thing.

Fred- I have seen many one luv lanyards- especially since this is over- and 99% of every line pilot I talk to calls AT family and SWA now-

But again, I don't know how your family is led, but being family doesn't mean you get everything you want all the time. And I'll say it- I don't want AT pilots negotiating for me in section 6 to roll over, but I don't want the foxhole mentality fighting our mgmt either. Again, fighting for every inch is not what has made this place so great. Neither side takes too much- we all make sustainable wages- and we keep the company rolling.

 

[Lear70]

That's not entirely fair Lear. GK Said specifically, and often, that he wanted a negotiated list. That as leaders, he did not want us to proceed to the full length of our process agreement.

Lear, AT pilots, did he, or did he not say that over and over?

There's a big difference between saying you want something, versus committing to something in writing as a backstop IF a negotiated list couldn't be reached, then later saying you're "investigating options" not to do what you previously committed to in writing.

That's the big issue people have. We understood he wanted a negotiated list. We also understood he signed a Process Agreement that said if one couldn't be reached, then binding arbitration would be implemented and the lists WOULD be integrated. Then we saw the letter saying they would start examining other options besides integration, in direct conflict with that signed Process Agreement.

The bottom line is that you will be hard-pressed to find many AirTran pilots who will tell you they didn't feel they were voting under duress for their careers. It was essentially "take this or we will start the process of separate operations, just like we did with Muse/Transtar". At the road shows with Southwest management representatives in attendance, the Merger Committee was asked if we were voting for our jobs as one of the MC reps had said on an all-pilot Merger Committee update the week before. The Merger Committee said Yes. The SWA management representatives present were then asked the same thing. Their response was "We think your Merger Committee has very accurately represented the situation to you."

That's why AirTran pilots feel the way they do. All the talking on here isn't going to change that simple fact. It's not a personal dig at you or any other Southwest pilot posting on this forum. It's just the way the situation happened, and it's going to take time for us to deal with it. Nothing personal, just the way mergers work... Sometimes one group doesn't feel as great about it; they eventually get over it, but telling them their issue isn't reasonable or belittling their beliefs or feelings on it isn't going to help.

In the meantime, we'll continue to be professional, and I greatly appreciate that your pilots are doing the same.

 

[Lear70]

We did have a third party decide, it just happened to be Gary Kelly. I'm not sure either of the other two parties really saw it coming.

Got a laugh out of me on that one... Pretty accurate, I think.

What can ya do? It's done. Moving on. Time heals all... :beer:

 

[carl p]

Went riding over the weekend in the dez with the family. On the last day about 35 miles into our ride my 10 yo son had a pretty bad crash on his dirt bike in a wash. He crashed at about 35-40 mph and flew about 10 feet landing face first. The paramedics decided to airlift him 60 miles away for further testing. All I could do in the helicopter was pray for his safety and hope for the best. Luckily, thanks to all the pads his only injuries are a black eye along with cuts and scratches on his face from small rocks and sand. I can tell you after something like that the last thing I will worry about is this SLI. It really forced me to look at what are the important things in life...

BTW, he is fine, although it looks like he was in a prize fight. The lesson for him was there's a reason Dad always makes him pad every ride and don't a out ride your visibility. Tough nut is already asking when we can ride again!

Instead of wasting time being angry and bitter, go hug someone you love and appreciate what little time we have on this earth. Just my .02.

 

[Lear70]

Well-said, Carl. Glad he's OK!