SWA - AAI question

[texman]

I see ALPA's resistance as a "demand" for a drop dead date for our contract and our payscale if this turns into a USAir/AWA.

I see.

 

[Wesb737fo]

Hey fellas..... I've said it before, but, once again, I don't think this thing is going to be decided by the .05% ( of the roughly 8000 pilots involved) who post on this board. I've followed a few of these threads and I have noticed that quite a few with very inflammatory opinions don't even work for either SWA or AAI. Some do, but most of us are casually observing. There is nothing more than the " haters " and the " selfish " would love to see more than these food fights escalate into something bigger.I refuse to argue SLI issues on a public forum.....however, I will take advice on learning how to play "Red Barchetta" (particularly the solo) on my guitar..bing.....bing....bing.bing...bing..bing...bing.bing.

 

[funnyman12]

Im an airtran guy, so I admit I naturally will have a biased opinion. I have a question for the SW guys.....Gary Kelly has said, as recent as the 1st qtr call last week, that his number ONE priority is a fast integration with Airtran. The slower the integration, the less revenue created. The less revenue = less profit, less profit = better advantage to our competitors. All this equate to less hiring and upgrades for all. Also having a company with two employee groups doing the same job and having different pay doesn't result in a positive culture. Any time in society you have a two class system, you have great turbulence. I agree no SW pilot should be not be negatively affected, but at the same time you could achieve this with AAI pilots getting a fair shake also. The question.....why would you choose this path if it will hold your company back from success. Delta would love the integration to take many years.

 

[GuppyWN]

Talk to ALPA. SWAPA is not the one holding up progress.

 

[scoreboardII]

Balls in Airtrans/ALPA's court, nobody at SWAPA is holding anything up, direct your question to the mirror.

 

[funnyman12]

I didn't say anyone was holding up the progress, but many on here have expressed that we may be operated separately. Please answer my question.....very simple.

 

[scoreboardII]

Asked and answered, who said SWAPA was attempting to run an alter ego airline?

 

[Bwipilot]

but many on here have expressed that we may be operated separately. Please answer my question.....very simple.

The idea of pure relative seniority brings out the worst in SWA pilots.

 

[funnyman12]

You guys are like politicians.....answer the question. I never suggested relative seniority or who's holding the process up. Though folks on here have suggested the desire to operate the companies separately.

 

[Bake]

I will answer your question as best I can funnydude. I agree that the faster all of this is said and done the better off SWA as a company will be. I truly believe when it is all done everything is going to be just fine. But until that point, negotiations is the game we are all playing. As someone said earlier, if A/T agreed to a staple this would be signed and delivered. I'm sure if SWA gave relative seniority along with the payraises A/T pilots would receive they would sign very quickly as well. However, none of these things are going to happen. A/T guys are protecting their pilots interest and SWAPA is protecting ours. That's negotiations. Fact is A/T guys will get a big raise, better mgt, etc. SWA pilots get nothing except more pilots on the seniority list that are fighting for a spot above CJ. You can count on SWAPA fighting very hard for our pilots and be damned the increase of revenue. I hope that explains it well enough. Personally, I hope all goes well if its going to happen. Like my buddy Clayton Williams once said, if your going to get raped you might as well enjoy it. Of course, that didn't work out to well for him and now we have the lottery. Maybe oil will hit 300 dollars a barrell with all this middle east stuff happening and this will just get called off. I think we can both agree that would be best. Then we wouldn't have to worry about any of this.

Bake

 

[funnyman12]

You guys wanna know my biggest fear.....im afraid that if arbitration is going poorly for SWAPA they will potentially try to delay the integration to force us to take something close to a staple. Iran and Israel get into it and im close to the bottom of 8000 pilots. At Airtran im no where close to the bottom. Guys im human like you, im afraid of having a larger chance of furlough due to poor SLI. Us guys at Airtran have families too. We have to consider the worst case scenario. Every SW pilot in my shoes would share the same concern.

 

[funnyman12]

Bake...if this acquisition goes smooth, it will make your airline larger and stronger. Why would you hope it falls through? Do you not trust Gary Kelly?

 

[funnyman12]

10% growth of 6000 pilots is 600 new hires and upgrades. 10% growth of 8000 pilots is 800 new hires and upgrades. Sound pretty good to me.

 

[Bake]

funnyman, I understand that completely. I'm sure our guys at the bottom feel the same way. It's not all about you except to you. No one at SWA wants anybody to get furloughed, that includes our tranny brothers.

 

[Bake]

When you have 8000 pilots and then hire a new pilot you must hire 4000 more to make him a captain and achieve his full pay potential (assuming no retirements). When you have 6000 you need to hire 1000 less. Think about it.

SWA may be larger and stronger when this is all done, I don't disagree. But we not very weak right now and I can live with that.