Not good for the Southwest Poolies....

[Yuppyguppy]

ah yes....anyone feelin the luv yet? I feel for you guys in the pool...that sucks

 

[Chairman]

But the difference is, the guys at your place and UPS, or anywhere else that has "ropes" or "herpes" NEVER left the property. The SWA guys have.

You get my last PM?

UPS has guys in the pool over a year and others in class with in a month of an interview. So not the only place this is happening. Guy puts in 30 years with a company and has a great track record and knows the operation why would a company not want that guy back. Just playing devils advocate.

Heading for the tree line!

 

[justin15e]

How would you like it?

I don't work for SWA and I'm not in the pool, but I would warn those SWA pilots that welcome them back to the "back" of the seniority list with open arms.

What if the tables were turned on new upgrade Captains, or someone who recently got awarded the domicile they desire. These guys were Captains before and they potentially lived where you just moved.

What if the tables were turned and these "newhire retiree's" got their old positions back? How would you like it if you got displaced? You already work for SWA, but these "poolies" are future employees as well, just lower on the totem pole. Don't try and justify it, it "is what it is".

Although highly unlikely for them to get their seniority back, what if it did happen? How would those at the top of the list feel then? Would you still say "It's OK, they are good dudes and deserve their high paying, high seniority that they had before they retired. " Well, if you can't say this, then don't try and convince the poolies that its "cool" because it's not. It just goes to show how some people are out of touch with reality once they've been in a nice job for a while.

 

[waveflyer]

thank you justin- that was nicely said

 

[Red Leader]

Auto Brakes, RNP, VNAV, Auto Throttles....Can't wait 'till the first ones try to decipher the new PDC. After a few stories of heads exploding in the right seat, the rest will opt for fishing with the grand kids!!! So relax...the glamour of being a switch monkey for some young whippersnapper in the left seat souldn't appeal to too many of those guys.

 

[GuppyWN]

Man you guys are tough. Word is there are less than FORTY apps. I would re-hire a valued retiree any day. It's the right thing to do and will be a very small blip on the radar.

Years of service trumps never having worked here.

Gup

 

[waveflyer]

yeah and when they sue to regain their seniority and that works- how would you feel?

Again, it is a problem that several hundred pilots have their emails and in some cases through that- identity compromised by southwest- and then have them make an OPTIONAL decision that will delay their time in the pool - to me that's a complication noone has talked about. At first i didn't think that email was a big deal- over time i've seen it affect two of my friends in the pool...I don't know that many in the pool, so do the math.

 

[Skybus]

Caveman,

Finally somebody gets it on here. This is purely and simplely nothing more than LOYALTY. We have lost a buch or great guys and fellow pilots the past few years. Naturally there DOES exist the 1% but thats about it around here. I applaud SW for doing the right thing and I will happily welcome back all of the folks that choose to return.

 

[bugchaser]

As has been said, this is indeed a tough situation for the poolies. The folks over in the people department have been put in a very bad spot. Last year this would not be nearly as big of a deal. The slowed growth along with the age 65 change have combined to effect just about everyone in a bad way. This really is just the PD being loyal to our own. Once you are on property, you will also be shown that kind of loyalty. That is something that I have felt since being here, and is most likely one of the reasons that folks want to work here in the first place. One other thing to consider is that these guys will not really affect any of your seniority other than delaying your start date. One thing is for sure, less than five years from now they will all be gone and you will move up to your original place on the list.

Hang in there and enjoy life and your families. Once you get here, most of you are gonna spend lots of time commuting to the desert.

 

[Tanker Clown]

On a completely unrelated positive note: I have read that most airlines (SWA included) haven't seen a softening in 1st Quarter bookings. Maybe the sky isn't falling as much as first thought. From what I heard, SWA can turn on the hiring/training pretty quick. We'll see. I'm probably being naive.

 

[navigatro]

Do the retirees have 6 months to get the type?

 

[Falconjet]

5 years for now. God knows the good people at APAAD and SWAPA aren't going to be satisfied with age 65 any more than they were with 60.

Guys trying to spin this type of stuff in a positive light are simply whistling past the graveyard.

FJ

 

[waveflyer]

Exactly Falcon- we've seen this generation sell out the less than 40 crowd for an entire career. If it meant holding on to their job- sure... furlough. If it means getting a bit more pay- sure - let scope go- we have furloughees that will fly that stuff- we can delay a regional pilots career- have 25 year olds captain the modern dc-9's while our furloughees pull gear for them. Now after all that- you just want us to finance another 5 years for you. C'mon- we're great guys! Maybe if you had been stand up guys for your career we could support you.

 

[waveflyer]

Seriously- how would you like to be on probation at ALASKA- get outed by southwest accidentally and then find they've made a decision that will delay your class even more. That friend of mine was really hoping to get a class before his year checkride- with a pool date of june15- that extra class or two of old guys might be the difference.

(I'll grant you that most poolies aren't in this situation and could care less who knows- but it's a valid point, IMO)

 

[firstthird]

I agree it isn't good news but you guys have to keep it in perspective. Like one of the other posters, I spent 2 years and 2 months in the pool; so, I feel your pain.

The email release was a mistake, no doubt about it.

The retired guys coming back as FOs to the front of the line is the right thing to do whether it seems like it from the pool or not. If they had to go to the end of the line, they'd be another 2 years into their retirement, and these are guys who have been good employees for 5 or 30 years.

Remember what the People department always says, you can "continue the process." Not that you are hired. It isn't a hiring pool but a pool of pre-qualified applicants.

Now, we all know in reality you are as good as hired unless you lose your license or get a DUI or something. Unlike some other companies (UPS with their interview performance based score pool comes to mind) could care less when you interviewed or how long you've been swimming.

I wouldn't like it either but there are many things on this earth that we don't have to like but do have to endure (my delayed upgrade would be one of those things, more attributable to the growth slowdown than age 65 but put them together and it gets exciting, much like your wait for a class)

I'm sorry that your eventual start date with SWA has been delayed, but putting returning 60+ guys behind new hires wouldn't be right, imo. I'm amazed any want to come back and they may quit soon after the reserve commute to OAK or LAS kicks in (with crappy crash pad situations in both places).