SWA/Airtran pilot integration thoughts, what will the new list look like?

[jonjuan]

Not trying to be rude, but both sides need to see a benefit. When its all said and done I will be welcoming the trannies to the team. However it works out. SWA guys dont need to just take it in the shorts and be happy about it.

Apparently your boss, Gary, figured it was beneficial for his company to buy the other company. Not to be rude.

 

[Ronnie75]

Apparently your boss, Gary, figured it was beneficial for his company to buy the other company. Not to be rude.

Ouch.

 

[vixin]

Yeah that hurt. Beneficial to the company and the discussion we are having are two separate issues. But, your inability to realize that shows your ignorance. Another idiot from the peanut gallery.

 

[Lear70]

Not trying to be rude, but both sides need to see a benefit. When its all said and done I will be welcoming the trannies to the team. However it works out. SWA guys dont need to just take it in the shorts and be happy about it.

I agree 100%. I've been saying all along that it needs to be fair, I never have advocated stapling anyone or a windfall for anyone (re. your original reply).

I know from the Southwest pilot's perspective that it seems AirTran pilots are getting all the benefits, but the fact of the matter is that the money isn't something Southwest pilots are "giving up". Gary Kelly and the senior management at Southwest is giving that in exchange for a large, profitable company. The money simply isn't a part of a SLI negotiation.

I'm simply interjecting a little reality of how the process works. Longevity/Compensation, the bridge agreement, and Seniority are all different pieces of the puzzle. No one gets to use one as a "bargaining chip" for the other.

 

[waveflyer]

SWA is the buying carrier and that does have history of judges awarding more favorable SLIs- it's not our contract that's necessarily important but the fact that the company we work for bought you-
Like I said- My opinion: it'll be a relative integration favoring WN bc we are the one forking over the cash-
My point however is that my "opinion" is pretty damn irrelevant and getting attached to it could seriously damage the culture - which is one of the best things about this...
So I ultimately conclude- who cares? We're all better off joining up so we should let a 3rd party decide so all 7700 of us can be mad at them and call it good.

I'm still wanting that 7700 pilot shot at 7:37)!) no matter how the sli goes down

 

[Lear70]

SWA is the buying carrier and that does have history of judges awarding more favorable SLIs- it's not our contract that's necessarily important but the fact that the company we work for bought you-
Like I said- My opinion: it'll be a relative integration favoring WN bc we are the one forking over the cash-

A very distinct possibility.

My point however is that my "opinion" is pretty damn irrelevant and getting attached to it could seriously damage the culture - which is one of the best things about this...

We're all looking forward to that as well.

So I ultimately conclude- who cares? We're all better off joining up so we should let a 3rd party decide so all 7700 of us can be mad at them and call it good.

Yeah, I'm sure it will get MUCH more heated in about 6 months, so I'm just enjoying the good vibes now and thinking that yes, it's likely it'll go to arbitration, so why sweat it?

I'm still wanting that 7700 pilot shot at 7:37)!) no matter how the sli goes down

Oh hell yeah, I think we should make it an event, every pilot in every overnight or every base or wherever they're at if they're off, on one night after it's all done, 7:37, "The shot slammed 'round the world"!

 

[Zdriver]

wouldn't there be two shots....

one at 7:17 and one at 7:37?

 

[waveflyer]

wouldn't there be two shots....

one at 7:17 and one at 7:37?

Let's make it happen brother!
;-)

 

[waveflyer]

Lear, in 6 months i'll still be thinking of long term and beating the anti-cactus drum. Will you? I hope in 6 months we're still just as committed to making this happen and fighting off greed- one thing you'll learn about the culture everyone touts- it's not all easy- and it's certainly not something that Herb just did for us- from day one they make sure you know that it's up to each of us to take care of each other and keep the culture alive- it's not that GK now won't do his part - he's proven it to me- but he can't even remotely do it alone.
Your job when you show up here is to take care of everybody else except you- and when you let that part go and just worry about giving- believe me you get it back in droves.

And when it's all about you for whatever reason- you'll probably get called out -

Let's just not let this merger become days of our lives for pilots and I'll be satisfied- but what we ought to be doing is showing leadership for the rest of the employee groups

 

[Lear70]

I'm right there with ya... I also know that people are people, and as the SLI negotiations really begin, people will start to get anxious and, therefore, combative again. It's human nature (and the way this board tends to work as you well know).

Hopefully with a little time to think about it and most of us getting along just fine, the overall atmosphere will be a positive one moving forward.