Airtran MEC voted no

[Nindiri]

Just so we are clear. I am fine with a staple.

Gup

Okay, we will staple you.

 

[redflyer65]

Looks like the company has informed SWAPA that all monetary offers are off the table, and they have no plans to intervene during mediation. Email sent out tonight.

RF

 

[Flycatcher99]

Yes, they definitely promised a staple or near staple. SWA pilots on here like Willie Nelson, Bravodude, the guy with the Einstein avatar whatever his name was, and others have confirmed numerous times here that their friends and connections in SWAPA have assured them of a staple. And they've made it clear here that they expect this promise to be kept; just a day ago, Bravodude promised to burn the house down if he didn't get his way.

This is not a good situation for SWAPA, or for anyone else involved.

Please find one of the posts where one of our guys quotes swapa as promising a staple.

It's simply not true. Keep claiming that if you want, but it doesn't make it any more true. There were indeed many of our guys who wanted it, but swapa absolutely kept a lid on any speculation or strategy. Unlike some other union folk.

 

[Flycatcher99]

Why? It will just be thrown back in our face again as "You're lying."

The simple FACT is, in front of about 250 or so line pilots, the ENTIRE MEC, including ALL status reps, Sec/Treas from each domicile, the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, MEC Sec/Treas, Neg Comm Chair, Merger Committee, ALPA EVP, and 2 Senior ALPA Attorneys, the MEC explained what happened in Dallas the weekend the AIP was agreed to and went into the EXACT detail that Fly-By-Wire posted above that has been called "a lie".

NOT A SINGLE PERSON IN THE ROOM SAID THAT ACCOUNT WASN'T ACCURATE. NOT ONE. Make no mistake, when one of the reps said the one thing in that account that wasn't agreed with (who called who on Saturday morning), they got into a BIG tit-for-tat, but on the IMPORTANT POINTS ABOVE, not one single person among the people in our leadership who were FOR the agreement spoke up and said that account was incorrect.

So our entire leadership, including the MC who brought this thing and believed in it, agree with the account Fly-By-Wire posted of how it happened. You may not like that. SWAPA may not like it. No one's asking you to. But to insist that it's a "lie" is really not your position to make.

So basically, what you want us to believe is that some of your union guys got up, told the whole story as they "saw" it, and then since not one of the other union cronies corrected the story to make it less favorable from the air tran perspective, then naturally the story was the complete unadulterated truth.

Uh huh.

 

[On Your Six]

Looks like the company has informed SWAPA that all monetary offers are off the table, and they have no plans to intervene during mediation. Email sent out tonight.

RF

The Process Agreement still has arbitration as the next step after mediation I believe. It could go that route, and if SWA or SWAPA do not follow the binding award, there will be even more cracks in that famous culture of yours as time goes by. Eventually equal pay will happen, and it could turn into a war of attrition, which may not turn out well for all sides. Godspeed!


OYS

 

[chase]

Deleted

 

[Fly-By-Cable]

Looks like the company has informed SWAPA that all monetary offers are off the table, and they have no plans to intervene during mediation. Email sent out tonight.

RF

They can't. Mediation is a very formal setting between two parties.

 

[Nindiri]

Please find one of the posts where one of our guys quotes swapa as promising a staple.

It's simply not true. Keep claiming that if you want, but it doesn't make it any more true. There were indeed many of our guys who wanted it, but swapa absolutely kept a lid on any speculation or strategy. Unlike some other union folk.

I already pointed out several SWA pilots confirming it on this board. And, of course, it was all over the SWA pilots' board.

Honestly, I'm a little surprised at SWAPA making such a tactical blunder and painting themselves into this corner. They had to know they couldn't deliver on such a promise, so why did they make it?

 

[Fly-By-Cable]

2. Mediation is scheduled for next month.

Gup

Still don't see it ha? SC promised to follow the Process Agreement which says that arbitrator's ruling will be final and binding....ooops.

 

[FDJ2]

The Process Agreement still has arbitration as the next step after mediation I believe. It could go that route, and if SWA or SWAPA do not follow the binding award, there will be even more cracks in that famous culture of yours as time goes by. Eventually equal pay will happen, and it could turn into a war of attrition, which may not turn out well for all sides. Godspeed!


OYS

I agree that equal pay will ultimately happen, it's just a matter of time.

This process will be very stressful on those involved, but ultimately, absent a negotiated list, a third part neutral will review all the facts and make the call if the respective merger committees can't. It wont be the first time or the last this has happen.

 

[Nindiri]

Still don't see it ha? SC promised to follow the Process Agreement which says that arbitrator's ruling will be final and binding....ooops.

Is the SWAPA argument now saying that SC lied when he made that statement?

 

[On Your Six]

Dear Lear,

I'm afraid the aftermath of AAI's MEC vote in terms of behavior and rendition of the "facts" as described on here and as sold to your members may have more impact on changing sentiments on the SWA corporate side than the vote itself.

CEOs and their unions don't care to have details of confidential meetings "spun" to suit the audience. I'm sure this storyline is or will be floating in emails at the GO by now or certainly by tomorrow. Particularly if the party doing the spinning is the invited guest to the party.

I'm afraid lines are being drawn in the sand and little room will be left to wiggle as well as time will eventually slip away.


While arbitration is most likely from here on out IMHO, as one of our chief negotiators just posted on our forum GK and SWAPA signed the PA knowing there are still options available to SWA management if circumstances arrive that would keep our culture intact. I don't know what those are but I never underestimate GK and his team in coming up with solutions to problems.

I use to think that only a furlough could permanently damage our culture; that sentiment was universal. I might add to that and GK may add to that after this is all over, "mergers with ALPA carriers".

It will be "purely" a business decision on the part of SWA if circumstances play out that result in no integration or common SLI. I hope your pilots will be as

gracious in accepting such an outcome as you and others have asked us to accept the 7-1 vote of your MEC. It will be purely business and for the best
interest of SWA to not go through with it IF that turns out to be the path chosen. Please don't say it is fear mongering; it is merely a "business decision".

I'm less optimistic than I was previously on our future together but will wait to see what the pilots/employees of SWA say to GK over the next few weeks and how GK responds.

For those who think Wall Street will punish SWA for not going through with the deal, Wall Street doesn't get most of what SWA is all about anyway and the price of the stock doesn't reflect that but regardless, the latest email from
SWAPA confirms the tone has changed within SWAPA and apparently SWA also.

Would Gary take a quarter or two of losses to keep our culture intact? I would bet my 401K and future on it. It would rally our employees like nothing else which has been created by your MEC. Unintended consequences my friend; I certainly have no crystal ball and as I have said previously, the only way to

insure 100% that AAI pilots would be on the SWA seniority list was by passing SL9. It wasn't and now we are all left to wonder, "what is next?"

Hope you have a good week flying. Congrats on the upcoming nuptials and spend more time with your son instead of on here!!!

This sounds like Civil War time! This really is getting intense. I just don't think GK will pull that trigger, merger integration in other departments is underway, and there is that Process Agreement. This is gonna be a roller coaster, hang on!



OYS

 

[Flycatcher99]

I already pointed out several SWA pilots confirming it on this board. And, of course, it was all over the SWA pilots' board.

Honestly, I'm a little surprised at SWAPA making such a tactical blunder and painting themselves into this corner. They had to know they couldn't deliver on such a promise, so why did they make it?

You named a couple of names. So what? Show some posts. Last time I'll ask.

And how do you know what's on the SWA forum? Which forum are you referring to?

Swapa never made any such claim, or declared any expectation of SLI. In any venue. You're either a complete moron if you think that swapa ever made such a prediction, or else you're nothing more than a two-bit flamer.

 

[Nindiri]

This sounds like Civil War time! This really is getting intense. I just don't think GK will pull that trigger, merger integration in other departments is underway, and there is that Process Agreement. This is gonna be a roller coaster, hang on!



OYS

Why did Chase delete his post that you quoted?

 

[Nindiri]

You're either a complete moron if you think that swapa ever made such a prediction, or else you're nothing more than a two-bit flamer.

This is the sort of anger and rage that I've been seeing here lately, and it's the reason why I asked my original question about the reaction of SWA pilots and if they will be willing to shake hands and move on after the integration.