MILF Hunter
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Southwest Airlines pilots mill around in support of management
By
Terry Maxon/Reporter <A href="http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/authors.html#Terry Maxon/Reporter" rel=internal>
[email protected] | Bio
4:39 PM on Tue., Aug. 23, 2011 | Permalink
Southwest Airlines pilots held a demonstration in support of chairman and CEO Gary Kelly and other Southwest managers on Tuesday afternoon.
But anyone expecting shouting, pickets and slogans - I wasn't expecting them, by the way - would have been disappointed.
There was no such. Instead, it was simply a couple hundred Southwest pilots who showed up and stood around outside Southwest's Dallas headquarters to support the airline's management.
(CREDIT: Terry Maxon/Dallas Morning News)
Support against what? you might ask. Well, last week, pilot leadership at AirTran Airways decided not to send a proposed agreement to its members, a deal that would spell out how AirTran's pilots would be folded into the Southwest seniority list.
Southwest executives spoke out in praise of the agreement between airline, Southwest union and AirTran union when first announced in July, and said it showed how everybody could work together in the merger of Southwest and AirTran.
So, when the master executive council of the Air Line Pilots Association voted down the proposal, it was an unhappy development for Southwest.
The Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association didn't organize the event, but provided water and support after some of its members hurriedly put it together.
"The Southwest pilots are showing up here today in support of Southwest Airlines, Southwest Airlines leadership, our people, our culture and the success of our company," said Dallas pilot Jacob North, communications chairman for SWAPA.
"It's fair to say our pilots have always supported our company. In light of recent events in the acquisition, we just wanted our company to know that we do in fact support Southwest Airlines and its people going forward."
Asked if it was intended negatively toward anyone, North said, "Absolutely not."
Southwest executive vice president Mike Van de Ven came out briefly to chat with the pilots in the 104-degree heat, but made no speech. Southwest spokesman Paul Flaningan said the company appreciated the pilots' support.
"At Southwest Airlines, we've always supported our employees' right to express themselves. This is a show of support for the company, and we appreciate their efforts and appreciate their intentions," Flaningan said.
As to any messages being sent, Flaningan said it was "a show of support for the company, for our leadership and what they're trying to do.
"Integration processes aren't always easy, but everyone's working hard and wants the same outcome, and I think that's what this is all about, just showing support to the leaders that they're behind them and that we're working together to achieve that one outcome that we all want."
(Kelly didn't show up during the time I was outside with the pilots, although I started feeling the effects of the heat and left before the pilots dispersed.)
By
Terry Maxon/Reporter <A href="http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/authors.html#Terry Maxon/Reporter" rel=internal>
[email protected] | Bio
4:39 PM on Tue., Aug. 23, 2011 | Permalink
Southwest Airlines pilots held a demonstration in support of chairman and CEO Gary Kelly and other Southwest managers on Tuesday afternoon.
But anyone expecting shouting, pickets and slogans - I wasn't expecting them, by the way - would have been disappointed.
There was no such. Instead, it was simply a couple hundred Southwest pilots who showed up and stood around outside Southwest's Dallas headquarters to support the airline's management.
Support against what? you might ask. Well, last week, pilot leadership at AirTran Airways decided not to send a proposed agreement to its members, a deal that would spell out how AirTran's pilots would be folded into the Southwest seniority list.
Southwest executives spoke out in praise of the agreement between airline, Southwest union and AirTran union when first announced in July, and said it showed how everybody could work together in the merger of Southwest and AirTran.
So, when the master executive council of the Air Line Pilots Association voted down the proposal, it was an unhappy development for Southwest.
The Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association didn't organize the event, but provided water and support after some of its members hurriedly put it together.
"The Southwest pilots are showing up here today in support of Southwest Airlines, Southwest Airlines leadership, our people, our culture and the success of our company," said Dallas pilot Jacob North, communications chairman for SWAPA.
"It's fair to say our pilots have always supported our company. In light of recent events in the acquisition, we just wanted our company to know that we do in fact support Southwest Airlines and its people going forward."
Asked if it was intended negatively toward anyone, North said, "Absolutely not."
Southwest executive vice president Mike Van de Ven came out briefly to chat with the pilots in the 104-degree heat, but made no speech. Southwest spokesman Paul Flaningan said the company appreciated the pilots' support.
"At Southwest Airlines, we've always supported our employees' right to express themselves. This is a show of support for the company, and we appreciate their efforts and appreciate their intentions," Flaningan said.
As to any messages being sent, Flaningan said it was "a show of support for the company, for our leadership and what they're trying to do.
"Integration processes aren't always easy, but everyone's working hard and wants the same outcome, and I think that's what this is all about, just showing support to the leaders that they're behind them and that we're working together to achieve that one outcome that we all want."
(Kelly didn't show up during the time I was outside with the pilots, although I started feeling the effects of the heat and left before the pilots dispersed.)
