According to our MC, SWAPA would not budge on the list and our guys walked out of negotiations. They were heading home as GK called them in to see if there is anything could be done to fix it. They respectfully agreed to try. He proposed his protections and restrictions. However our MC kept referencing to the bad list. GK looked at SWAPA. They moved a few numbers and said it was final. GK tried to make things work for both parties. Our MC felt that in a standstill with SWAPA and with GK's good efforts this would be the absolute best that could ever be negotiated at the table.
The last thing our MEC knew about the status of negotiations was that the MC walked out and was on the way home. The "emergency" meeting with GK was not communicated to MEC until after the fact due to timing and the nature of talks. The MC was cornered into agreeing to the proposal with no attorneys present, or MEC approval. (rest assured that will never be allowed again)
This started a disconnect between MC and MEC. Pilots never gave a bird to GK, in fact the opposite, we appreciate his effort to fix the list with protections.
It took MEC longer than SWAPA to vote, because while SL9 provided SWAPA with necessary adjustments to their CBA, the equivalent of SL9 still had to be drafted and approved by legal on our side, for our CBA along with other transitional documents that SWAPA didn't have to have to vote.
AirTran pilots were outraged with SWAPA's refusal to negotiate a fair list. The list is what this thing was about. The list you offered, not GK. He wasn't just helping us, he was helping you, because he knows you'll get crushed in arbitration. Now he can't say that he didn't try.
Don't tell me GK is mad at us... He knows the whole story, not just the propaganda SWAPA put out for you to cover up how THEY caused you to go to arbitration.
Whoa, whoa, wait a second there, man, this is the FlightInfo venting hour. You can't go letting a little thing like THE TRUTH get in the way of some people blowing off steam.
Really though, you're message is more than likely falling on deaf ears, that's why I haven't posted much the last 36 hours. Just stepping back, working on the stuff I mentioned to you guys on our internal board, and not getting caught up in the tit-for-tat, and I'm proud of the AirTran responses that have, for the most part, been calm, rational posts in the face of the hostility emanating from a few SWA pilots (if, indeed, that's who they are). I think your approach is much more indicative of the "Southwest culture" of treating EVERYONE by "The Golden Rule" than other posts that we're seeing. I could be wrong, but I don't think so.
I know we're all concerned; I am too. The minute the vote results came out I had this mixed feeling of "Thank God that didn't pass" and "Holy crap, it didn't pass, now what???", but I've seen more pilots engaged in the process with this than at any other time since I've been here, disagreeing with each other sometimes, vehemently even, but still treating each other with respect (at least no one told JC at the meeting to take his point of order and shove it up his a** like last time).
Maybe I have TOO much faith in GK, but I'm betting that he forces both sides back to the table at mediation next week, despite how irritated everyone is right now, and pushes them to find a middle ground. Maybe they do, maybe they don't, maybe it's not as financially-focused on our pilots and gives some SWA pilots some of the short-term pie ($$$), I don't have the "solution", but we need to come to some type of middle ground, and the hostility being displayed by some people here doesn't help.
Or maybe that's the posters' intent? Purposefully drive it to arbitration and pray to God it's bad enough to make GK call the whole thing off? Sometimes I wish this board wasn't anonymous; people would actually have to own up to the things they say... but then it wouldn't be nearly as entertaining (and that's ALL it's good for - entertainment - not worth getting your blood pressure up over).
Ya'll fly safe now. :beer:
