Finally a dose of reality. It's been amusing reading numerous posts where everyone thinks he is going to double his unit labor costs for the sake of "culture."
You are overpaid relative to your peers on similar equipment. It's a fact. Couple this with slimming margins in a saturated market, and a stock that has gone nowhere in almost 10 years, and... well -- you figure it out.
I have three points in response to your post, which is just thinly veiled envy, imo:
1. SWA pilots are paid approximately what we were paid in the mid 80's, adjusted for inflation. So it would seem that we aren't "overpaid relative" to our peers, our peers are underpaid relative to us. The leverage that you have in your next negotiations will be due to us, whereas we will gain nothing from your anemic contract. You're welcome.
2. At which point, when SWA has continued to be profitable come hell or high water, should we, in your esteemed opinion, consider giving some of our "overpay" back? Sorry your company's business plan can't support a decent contract - a problem that we don't currently (and probably never will) have.
3. Herb has always run his airline with the concept that although a viable culture might cost him a little money in the short term, it would save him / make him money in the long term. Every time. And I'm pretty sure Gary knows that also.
Thanks for your concern. However, we and our AirTran brothers and sisters will be just fine without it. Now go work on getting back what you gave away.
PapaWoody