SWA labor strife, strike on the horizon...

[ASADFW7]

Actually, ALL of us were winners when our FA's got retro pay...considering what they spent it on.

(o)(o)

I mentioned that in a van ride to the airport one night and two of them said we got retro boobs! It was an interesting reaction from a full van.

As for Tanker, he is on my ignore list. He is not a SWA pilot, most guys on the outside just want to get here and have no idea of how important contract negotiations are to improve a contract that is over ten years old. Just voting whatever is put in front of the pilot group is not going to happen. Our negotiators have not put a pay freeze in front of us, that was the first offer, five years no COLA.

Now from the outside that may look like different however we are not comparing ourselves to others, only to our own worth within a profitable company. If you all think that is excessive, COLA is something that matters at the kitchen table to every employee at SWA.

 

[Daddy]

FA's spending their hard-earned money not on themselves but on their tits for all of us to enjoy...as Biden would say, "That's storybook, man!"

 

[airlinepilot]

Actually the plastic surgeons in Dallas and Houston are hoping for another big retro contract with the FA'S

 

[higherflyer]

I mentioned that in a van ride to the airport one night and two of them said we got retro boobs!

I hope they weren't dudes.

 

[scoreboardII]

View Post

Yesterday, 20:34 Remove user from ignore list
Tanker Clown This message is hidden because Tanker Clown is on your ignore list.

 

[SWA tech]

Big difference between rampers and pilots. Rampers got nuthin' to lose.

Let's see SWA farm out the ramp it would shut the place down.

 

[lowlycfi]

Didn't the SWA F/A's almost go on strike a few years ago? Thought I recall their neg's not being very "labor fiendly"

We got fairly close. Negotiations had broke down because Jim Parker stopped returning TWU's phone calls and would not show up for bargaining meetings. Shortly after as TWU was preparing to call to be released for 30 day cooling off, he resigned. Gary Kelly became CEO. Herb and Colleen took over negotiations and within a week we had an industry leading TA which passed overwhelmingly (and yes 100% retro was included....I got to see a lot of new boobies in the months following ).

My observation of that contract (having gone through two when I was an F/A there) was that it was not very labor friendly with Parker at the helm but changed tone after Herb and Colleen took over. We picketed, we complained about the company, we threatened to strike, but when it was all over we kissed and made up with the company.

I'm not at SWA anymore, but talking to all of my F/A friends that are still there it sounds like this contract negotiation is not confrontational like the last one was. I gather that most of what is being asked for by TWU this time is QOL stuff. I expect this one will pass without much confrontation.

-Former SWA F/A

 

[Tejas-Jet]

We got fairly close. Negotiations had broke down because Jim Parker stopped returning TWU's phone calls and would not show up for bargaining meetings.

My observation of that contract (having gone through two when I was an F/A there) was that it was not very labor friendly with Parker at the helm

As I recall, it was also during that time that the then-SWAPA President and Jim Parker got into a public battle over the contract extension.

That SWAPA President got us the 2nd highest pay raise in SWAPA history ( not a small feat just after 9-11) but the "old guard" pilots got uncomfortable with the union President acting like a ...union President.

And, as memory serves correct, he recommended that we vote down the contract extension...it passed anyway.

But he got voted out...in favor of a "gentleman" who is now the SWAPA President.

Since then, the company has established a "Labor Relations" office with a VP at the helm. Of course that VP came from.....Herb's law firm in SAT.

 

[Turtle21]

You don't know your own association. Ask other pilots. ...

SouthWest isn't an ALPA carrier.. and isn't interested in becoming one.

 

[Tanker Clown]

SouthWest isn't an ALPA carrier.. and isn't interested in becoming one.

My FO buddys say that the Capts they fly with aren't very interested in the union. He says they all basically say, "Don't rock the boat." They don't really care if they get pay raises...they are quite fine with the status quo.

I never mentioned ALPA. I'm just saying that SWA pilots will vote in the first thing put in front of them. Led by the senior folks who don't want to mess up a good thing...the junior guys plight really isn't on their radar.