SWA/ATA revisited

[Tanker Clown]

AQ PILOT, You'd make a great scab. I'm not sure why, but Capt Seth seems to think any logical argument (such as yours) is scaberific.

 

[Kharma Police]

I just heard from a "management" type on the jumpseat that SWA is looking at ATA's scheduled operations again.

Apparently they looked at buying ATA back in 04 prior to the codeshare deal, but decided against it. Now they are looking at buying ATA to get the etops and Hawaii and Mexico flying.

I asked about the employee group integration and culture issues that always seem to be the deal stopper with SWA and his reply surprised me.

"We won't have a employee integration issue. They will either agree to come over at the bottom of the pilot seniority list, or they can line up in seniority order and turn in applications like everyone else."

We talked about the new Bond/McKatskill ammendment that requires Alegheny/Mohawk to be used and he said that wasn't an issue here. Apparently, SWA legal believes that Global Aero Logistics is "the operation." And the new ammendment only applies if you buy more than 50% of the "operation." They believe that ATA's scheduled service represents less than 50% of the Global Aero Logistics operation and thus this doesn't apply.

I am not trying to stir the pot, but it looks like something is going to happen soon. I hope you guys will take a lesson from the TransStar deal and take the "offer." It will likely mean a pay raise even if you move seats and you will be at a company that you can retire from.

Good Luck.

Man, you guys are pr!cks.

 

[In The Wind]

Capt. Seth is a ATA pilot. His wife prob. left him for a SWA pilot so he is bitter. The only ones that have screwed the ATA pilots is there own MGT. not any other carrier!

 

[Kharma Police]

Capt. Seth is a ATA pilot. His wife prob. left him for a SWA pilot so he is bitter. The only ones that have screwed the ATA pilots is there own MGT. not any other carrier!

Like I said before.......

 

[ATADave]

Note: The following represents only my personal opinion. It is not, and is not intended to be a statement issued by the ALPA represented ATA pilot group.

AQ Pilot,

Let me make sure I understand you correctly. A “fair” merge between you and WN would be OK with you, but you have no problem with the ATA pilots being stapled.

Nice.

Then we have Tanker AssClown, who appears to be a space ship pilot from a galaxy far, far away that seems to think someone is going to pay FO’s a Captains wage in our current economic environment. And thus, a new nick-name is born.

But wait, there’s more. We’ve got WN tools who think we should interview for an opportunity to fly our airplanes on our routes, all done on the bottom of your list.

How do I phrase this and maintain political correctness?

I’ve got it:

Please feel free to conduct a thorough interview of my sphincter at you earliest convenience.

The ALPA pilots of ATA request only fair treatment. This is the intent of the Allegheny/Mohawk precedence as well as the more recent Bond/McCaskill amendment. This is the minimum we will accept, and we will expend all available ALPA resources at our disposal to ensure that this is what we receive. This is not an unreasonable position.

Tailwinds,
Dave

PS: I posted having not read the response from “In the wind”.

You are correct Sir. We are an incredibly experienced group of world-wide charter pilots who are victims of inept management. It’s really that simple and you are dead-on.

I cannot speak to Capt Seth’s wife.

I could offer my wife to the WN pilot group, but to date, my codeshare brothers have never done me any harm.

 

[Tanker Clown]

ATADave, When WN aquired Morris, they stapled them, but even though a CA was now an FO, he received the same pay until the SWA pay scales caught up. Therefore, an ATA guy could probably plan on staying at his current wage until the SWA wages were more than the current wage.

Maybe the best they should do is offer a chance at an interview.

By the way, they really aren't ATA's jets and routes if someone else buys them. Last time you sold a home, you didn't feel like you could go back in and take a shower did you?

 

[atafan]

CaptSeth, why such animosity coming out of you? What am I missing here? Seriously man, what is it you want here...

I'll just give my 2 cents worth. This is what I and many others think.

ATA was acquired by a hedge fund company and worked in accordance with Southwest senior management to dismember ATA. ATA would be stripped of our scheduled flying while charter flying will be moved to World while SWA takes our skeleton of an international airline. The hedge fund company makes a fortune with World and SWA makes a fortune by expanding internationally with ATA's backbone.

Some SWA pilots play like their airline had nothing to do with our rape and pillage, possibly offering us to be stapled or trashed. You don't feel any remorse or obligation to treat others the way you want to be treated? Karma is a funny thing.

You can't believe why ATA pilots might be just a little upset, give me a break! SWA with their hedge fund buddies raped and destroyed this pilot group and expect us just to bend over and take whatever deal that your management and SWAPA offers us with a smile?

Just remember you need and OPERATING certificate to be able to utilize our operating authority.

 

[OK3]

Dave at al,

I like all the ATA pilots that I have met on our jump seats. I think you have a great group of guys who have gotten a bad deal. The question in my mind is this. What do the SWA guys gain if we were to buy ATA and integrate the pilots? It seems like a junior schedule at SWA is better than a senior one at ATA. So if you were pay protected and placed on the bottom of the list is that unfair? Fair and equitable is the language in the bill. What does that mean to you? From my perspective as a mid level FO all I do is lose if ATA guys get placed above me in an integration. I have nothing to gain in this case. I really don't mean to flame. Its hard to express that in text only.

 

[atafan]

I have nothing to gain in this case.

Here's what you gain.

SWA and your hedge fund company buddies have already trashed most of ATA. SWA would probably only take a few hundred pilots anyway. The few hundred pilots SWA would take along with our worldwide operating authority would mean thousands of new pilots jobs at SWA while SWA expands internationally.

Please understand, SWA would not be buying just a hand full of airplanes to fly to Hawaii, they would be buying the operating authority to operate everywhere and anywhere in the world. How many new SWA pilot captains would this create? Don't think short term, think big, don't you think that is exactly how your management is thinking?

 

[Whine Lover]

Ladies (and Gentlemen ),

Why don't we ALL just wait and see what happens, instead of hurling feces around over something that hasn't even occured yet?

With the attitude that I'm seeing here (on both sides) SWA management might just decide this won't work.....And, that would be BAD for both ATA and SWA.

"Everybody, smile on your brother, let's get together and try to love one and other....right now."

Kumbay-Frickin'-Ya,


YKW