Southwest, AirTran Brothers and Sisters!

[redflyer65]

PCL,

There are a TON of disenfranchised regional ALPA pilots. To say otherwise is to stick your head in the sand. ALPA is unfortunately broken.

It started out as a great organization and has morphed into a top-heavy, overbloated organization that has lost it's compass for the regular pilots. Alot of the politcal ambition within the upper ranks, but not much returns for the dues paying line pilot.

Hard to believe that ALPA can fight regional outsourcing on the major side and represent the same regional pilots. Like talking out of both sides of your mouth at the same time.

 

[waveflyer]

Redflyer-
I actually don't see the conflict of interest. I believe that getting outsourcing all under one seniority list DOES represent ALL pilots.

The bloated political disconnect I do agree with.

 

[waveflyer]

ALPA doesn't create adversarial relationships, managements do. ALPA merely responds when attacked. There are plenty of examples of ALPA having cooperative and even friendly relationships with managements. Delta has been a good example in recent years. Captain Moak and Richard Anderson worked together to build a healthy and respectful relationship between the union and the company. It's served them well. Is it as good as the relationship between SWA management and their pilots? No, but again, that's just a result of management. Delta management is certainly better than other legacy carriers in this regard, but not of the same mindset as SWA management. ALPA would work just fine in the kind of environment that you have at SWA. It would prosper, in fact. There just haven't been opportunities for that sort of relationship with managements at other carriers. SWA is one-of-a-kind in that regard.

I don't always agree with that PCL- some groups have been fighting the fight for so long w/ ALPA leading the charge- that they will find the negative in ANY mgmt. Beaten dog syndrome. I don't blame them, but the question still stands and is an honest one: when an individual makes the choice to leave to come to SWA- their attitude is great- - they're excited about the opportunity-
Are AT pilots ready to be that same level of positive??

or are you at ALPA spoiling the well, getting them riled up so to the point that
if relative seniority doesn't happen-(which it won't)- that they'll be disappointed and bittered?
Will you try to hold the culture as leverage over SWA's head?

Represent- and represent well- just please be careful of the line in the sands and the hard stance. Southwest has never responded well to that.
( I say that only for the benefit of friends over there
No threat, subtle or overt- I'm nobody- but it's my feel and there seems to be plenty of history to support that- we are great to those who work with us... Those who work against.....not so much )

 

[humveedriver]

Quick ALPA note and AirTran: That move was a necessary evil. Our "in house" just didn't have the resources (or moxy) to negotiate a decent contract. So we brought big brother in. I don't think a single AT pilot gives a hoot about keeping ties with ALPA. Frankly we RELISH the thought of not only working for a labor friendly company, but one with an effective in house union too. Only PCL 128 is probably sad about the potential departure from ALPA, as I believe he was a major player getting them on property. If the merger doesn't work out, he will probably end up working in Herndon at some point down the road.

 

[jonjuan]

"independent unions have no chance of success" when the most successful union currently is SWAPA, an independent union, with the industry leading contract and industry leading scope.

When/If you go "full on" international, you'll most definitely need more experience and relationships than swapa can offer. They're a good little union for domestic flying, but if widebodies are ever introduced, they'll need some big guns with significant resources.

 

[Roomwithaview]

International

JJ

I did it wih IBT and ALPA in a previous life. Nothing to it and the union barely played a role, other than the fact they were line slugs just like you and me.

Of all those unions SWAPA has impressed me the most. I would say that one key factor in us being able to negotiate as well as we could against the company is that we never had the sacred cow (the A fund). Trust me. Ten years ago I would have sold the farm for an A fund. Unfortunately, we've all seen what the company and the government do with that promissory note.

I would say we were lucky instead of good. The good ole boys made big bank on the options and profit sharing, something us late bloomers missed out on (anyone in the last fifteen years) But, our wages especially the rigs package have made up for some of that in a much better annual salary.

Timing is everything and we have to acknowledge that our biggest bargaining chip was UAL's and DAL's contracts around 2000. The disparity was too great and SWA could no longer keep us at bay. You don't have 39 straight quarters of profits at an airline and not properly compensate the guys/gals that are flying the planes.

Scope and codeshare. We have the bigger unions to thank as well as we learned from the mistakes of the past of ALPA and APA.

 

[Tweet-a-Lishus]

Are you guys actually having civil discussion?

 

[mdf]

When/If you go "full on" international, you'll most definitely need more experience and relationships than swapa can offer. They're a good little union for domestic flying, but if widebodies are ever introduced, they'll need some big guns with significant resources.

Don't respond, It's just Gen Lee in a speedo.

Carry on boys, glad to actually see a discussion.

 

[Roomwithaview]

Scheduled DH BA KDFW to EGKK

Are you guys actually having civil discussion?

Practically begged the ticket agent to put me in business. No go. Enplane and I'm in the back with the rest of steerage and this beautiful, young (female-just to nip the bad jokes right now) BA purser tells me to grab my bags and comes with her. Points to a seat in Business class and asks me if that will work for me.

I say, Yes, of course and thank her profusely for the upgrade. She grabs my hand and says, "Absolutely. Out here, if we don't take care of each other-Who will?"

Kind of sums it up for the industry as a whole.

 

[St. Nic]

Quick ALPA note and AirTran: That move was a necessary evil. Our "in house" just didn't have the resources (or moxy) to negotiate a decent contract. So we brought big brother in. I don't think a single AT pilot gives a hoot about keeping ties with ALPA. Frankly we RELISH the thought of not only working for a labor friendly company, but one with an effective in house union too. Only PCL 128 is probably sad about the potential departure from ALPA, as I believe he was a major player getting them on property. If the merger doesn't work out, he will probably end up working in Herndon at some point down the road.

You will learn soon enough ALPA is nothing more than a puppet master. They don't care about any AT pilot and will try and throw you all under the bus if it means more dues money by getting the SW pilots in the union. That's how they work. Look how ALPA tried to throw my pilot group under the bus- we got a new union and love living free ever since!
As a trannie just be careful because the SW pilots can be vicous- look at ATA and Morris Air!