You guys would have NEVER gotten close to your current rates without a bump from the DL contract. Sure, you are profitable, but showing what the DL pilots made and the SWA profit potential left your manangement with no choice. Now, you need to keep yours where it is at now so the DL pilots can use that as a jumping point eventually, and then you guys will be back to square one---good pay but regional schedules compared to the better paying legacies.
You just don't get it General. Southwest's payrates were never based upon another airlines' plus a percentage. They are, and always have been, based upon what the company could afford.
Please don't take credit for the "DL Contract" - the United boys did all the real work to attain their contract in 2000. You guys merely attained UAL + 1 after your management witnessed the havoc the United pilots caused during the summer of 2000. This after US Airways attained UAL + 1. Unfortunately, it didn't work out well for those pilot groups.
We do not need to keep our rates where they are now so Delta can use them as a jumping point. Most SW pilots could care less how much you make. We will continue to negotiate a rate that will allow Southwest to be profitable which will assure that our paychecks keep arriving.
