Ground Crew to Picket Southwest

[lowlycfi]

No, the flight attendants did during their last contract.

And we ended up with an industry leading contract. I was on the picket lines, then ended up voting yes.

 

[27 driver]

Your leadership wouldn't do that to you. Your morale is important to them because the customers see it in the employees. This type of talk is the same type of greed that has destroyed the US auto industry. The unions get bloated contracts and then don't give its members any incentive to produce a better product.

Look at the military. No union contract. We are well paid and have a great retirement plan. And to top it all off, we're the best in the world. Maybe the 121 folks should try and mirror what we do in the military.

You are dead wrong. Management has screwed labor for years and will continue to lower wages and QOL as long as we let them. I can't even believe you are comparing the military to 121. Why do you think unions were created in the first place. Because management treated people so well and made sure the workplace was safe. Dude, get a grip. Your job is guaranteed buy the govt and paid for by tax payers. You get yearly pay raises and pensions, both of which have been taken from 121 pilots over the past several years. You are not comparing apples to apples.
I can't beleive you think morale is important to management. Its been my experience it is just the opposite. They want us scared all the time. I am not trying to start an arguement but unions are necessary.

 

[Benhuntn]

People keep talking COLA but that is ridiculous. 'We are in deflation and the COLA is moving backwards. We want d-cola.

 

[Tanker Clown]

You are dead wrong. Management has screwed labor for years and will continue to lower wages and QOL as long as we let them. I can't even believe you are comparing the military to 121. Why do you think unions were created in the first place. Because management treated people so well and made sure the workplace was safe. Dude, get a grip. Your job is guaranteed buy the govt and paid for by tax payers. You get yearly pay raises and pensions, both of which have been taken from 121 pilots over the past several years. You are not comparing apples to apples.
I can't beleive you think morale is important to management. Its been my experience it is just the opposite. They want us scared all the time. I am not trying to start an arguement but unions are necessary.

Unions had their place in the sweat shops of the 19th century. Now they are just organizations that destroy companies. Just look at the big 3. They are getting blown out of the water by non union competitors. Now, to stay competitive, they're going to need government subsidies.

You should "get a grip" and realize that mgt is there to grow the company and therefore protect your job security. Look at what companies are successful. They tend to be non-union. Wal-Mart, Toyota, ect.

 

[27 driver]

Unions had their place in the sweat shops of the 19th century. Now they are just organizations that destroy companies. Just look at the big 3. They are getting blown out of the water by non union competitors. Now, to stay competitive, they're going to need government subsidies.

You should "get a grip" and realize that mgt is there to grow the company and therefore protect your job security. Look at what companies are successful. They tend to be non-union. Wal-Mart, Toyota, ect.

Job security at wages you can't afford to live on and little to no benefits with no pension. No health benefits for you and your family. Toyota will have the same problems when they have been here 25 or 30 years and have the higher longevity people. Mark my words, they will be union shop before long. Walmart hires most at part time positions so they don't have to offer them health benefits. You are right, the companies that pay sh!t wages with no benifits do much better. I agree that management is there to grow the company. We just differ on how they do it. They do it off the backs of hard working people. You will change your opinion if you become part of a labor group but you will probably become management. We just look at this from different frames of reference. I truly hope you experience the pain of a furlough due to poor management coupled with huge pay reductions and loss of pension like a great many pilots out there have. Maybe then you will look at the other side of the coin.

 

[Tanker Clown]

You say Wal-Mart pays sh!t, but they don't have problems finding people to work there. BTW, do you think a guy working in a Chevy plant would be willing to turn in his union card and take a job at Toyota?

 

[GuppyWN]

Do tell Gup. You seem to be among a very FEW and select individuals here. The VAST majority of us are well aware of the challenges we face. As LABOR ( I know we all hate to accept this reality) we are always using management comp. as a measure of what we think WE should have. Without getting into a long discussion, it is safe to say that GK's compensation is well below that of most overcompensated CEO's in corp. America. Perhaps we all should have followed a different path if that is how we look to measure??

You misunderstand me. I don't Gary is overpaid when compared to his peers. What I do think is that it's mighty hypocritical to take 100% raises for two straight years not including stock grants and then tell me I don't deserve a Cost of Living Adjustment.

I've asked this question many times and never gotten an answer. I'll ask you since you seen happy to be here.

Can someone give me even one example of codeshare that was a true benefit in jobs and/or career expectations for the "mother" carrier?

I'd be very leary of voting yes to ANY contract with codeshare. I'm a captain so "I've got mine" but I'd sure like to help you take care of you and me.

Gup

 

[GuppyWN]

People keep talking COLA but that is ridiculous. 'We are in deflation and the COLA is moving backwards. We want d-cola.

Good news Ben. Could you please give me a couple examples of goods and services (other than fuel) that cost less today than they did a month ago. Or even a year ago?

Thanks,
Gup

 

[bravodude]

You misunderstand me. I don't Gary is overpaid when compared to his peers. What I do think is that it's mighty hypocritical to take 100% raises for two straight years not including stock grants and then tell me I don't deserve a Cost of Living Adjustment.

I've asked this question many times and never gotten an answer. I'll ask you since you seen happy to be here.

Can someone give me even one example of codeshare that was a true benefit in jobs and/or career expectations for the "mother" carrier?

I'd be very leary of voting yes to ANY contract with codeshare. I'm a captain so "I've got mine" but I'd sure like to help you take care of you and me.

Gup

Why are you comparing everyone else with us here at SWA. I think its really funny how everyone always likes to say that we are different but at same compare ourselves to every other major airline.
You cant live your life thinking everyone in mgt. is out to scr@w you. If GK and the crystal palace are out to pull one over on us then we are just like everyone else and will soon be on the street, in that case who cares. I for one trust them, I also trust the union (unless they tell me to fess up and admit I was wrong ) Bottom line, If I was at any other airline I would be screaming bloody murder by know, however here at SWA I will take my chances.
At the same time even I have my limits. Internatonal codeshare is OK, regional jet codeshare is were I draw the line.

 

[bravodude]

Best CEOs of 2008: Round Two

Mr. Kelly at Southwest wins plaudits for maintaining customer service standards at a time when competitors are cutting back – and infuriating their customers in the process. "Their competitors are basically all committing suicide by doing things that don't make any sense," Mr. Pfeffer says, such as tacking on fees and "unbundling" services that used to come with the price of a ticket. Southwest, for example, still lets passengers check two bags without paying an extra fee. Mr. Kelly also wins kudos for relatively harmonious labor relations -- "he still has the best labor relations in the industry," Mr. Pfeffer says.