SWA. "warriors"

[laker4284]

Ok, that makes sense. A lot of the SWA guys on here talk about how much time off they have, and I figured to be pulling down >$200K you probably had to be working more than most. More power to you... someone's got to do it.

Cheers

The SWA CONTRACT is pretty generous in days off per month in large part because the pilot work days are so productive. The don't make their time w rigs,they FLY it. That leaves lots of days off for the guys who hustle to go out and grab more. Throw in premium pay, etc and an FO can make fat Captain salary. For thosenof who want to hustle but who are restricted by contracts that limit us or lines that are unproductive it's pretty frustrating.

I think the SWA guys are fluffing up the contracts too much and are pushing themselves into uncompetitive legacy realms but that maybe should be tackled in another thread or at least after I have my breakfast!

 

[freightdogfred]

So, as I've read here numerous times, WN pilots are well paid cause they're so productive. Now since the AA bankruptcy, WN CASM is just about the highest, if not the highest and GK has stated that WN needs to "increase productivity" to remain competitive. Where will this come from? Seems your schedules can't really become any more productive.

 

[PCL_128]

I'm sorry if this sounds like flame, but does Gary Kelly really refer to you guys as warriors? Do you guys buy that crap or roll your eyes?

Yes, he does. The monthly company magazine called "LUV Lines" is filled with that kind of stuff.

So, as I've read here numerous times, WN pilots are well paid cause they're so productive. Now since the AA bankruptcy, WN CASM is just about the highest, if not the highest and GK has stated that WN needs to "increase productivity" to remain competitive. Where will this come from? Seems your schedules can't really become any more productive.

First, WN CASM is nowhere near the highest. In fact, it's just about the lowest. Where will the productivity improvements come from? That's a really good question. Section 6 isn't going to be fun.

 

[Beechdriver32]

Thanks PCL for your defeatist attitude and knowlege of all that is southwest. It served you so well in your past life. You really 'helped' your brothers out.

Why not wait til you walk a step in our shoes before you you spout off about your great knowledge.

Oh, I forgot, welcome aboard.

 

[PCL_128]

Bury your head in the sand if you want. You have to be blind to not see what's coming.

 

[freightdogfred]

Yes, he does. The monthly company magazine called "LUV Lines" is filled with that kind of stuff.



First, WN CASM is nowhere near the highest. In fact, it's just about the lowest. Where will the productivity improvements come from? That's a really good question. Section 6 isn't going to be fun.

Well I should have specified....."Pilot cost/aircraft seat mile"

The pilot cost per aircraft seat mile is the highest, at least in all the data I've been able to research. Ergo, when GK comes-a-knockin for cutting costs, the handy scapegoat will, as usual, be the greedy pilots.

Being a jack of all trades and therefore somewhat skilled in the art of plumbing, I know that turds typically roll downhill, and the Airtran group will make a handy scapegoat for cost-cutting. Will the pain be shared equally is my question.

 

[Dan Roman]

Thanks PCL for your defeatist attitude and knowlege of all that is southwest. It served you so well in your past life. You really 'helped' your brothers out.

Why not wait til you walk a step in our shoes before you you spout off about your great knowledge.

Oh, I forgot, welcome aboard.

Why would sticking up for WN having low CASM and saying brace for a realistic possibility of a battle in contract negotiations ahead be a defeatist attitude?

Does your "warrior" attitude include attacking everyone you don't agree with?

 

[BILL LUMBERG]

It kills me how today's "Warriors" were the guys undercutting my wages and work rules 20 years ago......

Funny how they point the finger like earlier in this thread about how we are keepin' them down......

Karma

 

[BILL LUMBERG]

Ya, I buy that "crap." I would say most folks at SWA realize this is a brutal industry and we need to fight every day to keep SWA healthy and prosperous. We're not interested in losing our profit sharing or having some bankruptcy board change our wages. In addition, we are also not interested in showing up to work in a caustic environment where folks are not happy at their jobs. Not saying all airlines are like that, but talking to my buds, I know some are.

Servant's Heart
Warrior Spirit
Fun-Loving Attitude

These may sound trite to many, but it is how many of us roll at SWA. It's worked so far.

Tell that to an Airtran guy you just bent over......find his Luv or Spirit!

You guys need to get ovr yourselves.

 

[Beechdriver32]

Dan - how do you reconcile the polar opposite ideas in your first sentence?

We have a 'low CASM' and we have to 'brace for impact'?

And I welcome other opinions, but will also call a spade a spade.

PCL has cost his AT buddies (and some of my personal friends) hundreds of thousands of dollars and stated many times that he didn't want to work at SWA.

So, umm, no, I don't attack everyone. Just the ones that trying to bite the hand that feeds.

 

[slaquer5]

Bury your head in the sand if you want. You have to be blind to not see what's coming.

Please tell me that it is your taking a full time job with ALPA, and not coming over to SWA.

 

[Dan Roman]

It kills me how today's "Warriors" were the guys undercutting my wages and work rules 20 years ago......

Funny how they point the finger like earlier in this thread about how we are keepin' them down......

Karma

....and boasting like a UAL guy in the 90's. This industry is nothing if not cyclical.
I do have to laugh at anyone saying SWA is "going away" yes they will feel pressure from the likes of JetBlue, Spirit, VA etc and they don't have the advantage they once did competing with the legacies. But they will be just fine. It will be interesting to see what they do going forward as their LCC model matures.
I'm sure some of their pilots think I am bashing them. I'm not, I think SWA is an interesting airline and frankly, I respect their pro company attitude.

 

[Dan Roman]

Dan - how do you reconcile the polar opposite ideas in your first sentence?

We have a 'low CASM' and we have to 'brace for impact'?

And I welcome other opinions, but will also call a spade a spade.

PCL has cost his AT buddies (and some of my personal friends) hundreds of thousands of dollars and stated many times that he didn't want to work at SWA.

So, umm, no, I don't attack everyone. Just the ones that trying to bite the hand that feeds.

I think he is just saying to acknowledge that SWA allready has high productivity and don't let the fearmongers spread rumors that they have the highest CASM figures. You would than be going into a negotiation with a defeatist attitude if you thought that.

 

[laker4284]

Bury your head in the sand if you want. You have to be blind to not see what's coming.

SWA has been through tough times before. They were the underdog far longer than they have been the top dog.

At no time have they asked their employees for concessions, furloughed or cut pay. They have asked the employee groups to dig in, take a pay freeze (at least once) and do a little better or more to knock down the competition.

SWA management is not going to ask for pay cuts. It will be more challenging to find productivity enhancements. However, their more recent contracts have gone a way down the road to containing provisions that can be looked at as unnecessary, perhaps frivolous, and somewhat limiting to productivity.

I'd think they can tweak it, massage it, get it a little more flexible like it was a few years or couple contracts ago and press on. The company's track record is not one of trashing its employees. The company's track record is finding a way to win.

I wouldn't count them out. That would be a foolish mistake.

 

[PCL_128]

SWA management is not going to ask for pay cuts.

I agree that management is unlikely to ask for pay rate cuts, but I do think they're going to come looking for ways to reduce their premium pay expenses, reduce sick time usage, and probably increase the amount that pilots have to pay for their health insurance premiums.

 

[PCL_128]

PCL has cost his AT buddies (and some of my personal friends) hundreds of thousands of dollars

I'd love to know how you've come to that conclusion.

 

[LeeRoyJenkins]

I agree that management is unlikely to ask for pay rate cuts, but I do think they're going to come looking for ways to reduce their premium pay expenses, reduce sick time usage, and probably increase the amount that pilots have to pay for their health insurance premiums.

Hey Cartman,

How about you actually come over to SWA and learn what is going on here before you spew your drivel. You wont be on property at SWA until 2015 so you have quite a while to inform us about what management is going to do. For all I know Section 6 will be done and you will have no say so in the direction SWAPA takes to get us a new contract.

 

[PCL_128]

It's just comical to watch you guys fall all over yourselves to attack anyone who doesn't completely fall in line with the belief that everything will always be perfect at SWA, and no one will ever have to take a single concession. Heaven forbid anyone ever try to inject some reality into the discussion. Carry on with burying your heads in the sand.

 

[LeeRoyJenkins]

It's just comical to watch you guys fall all over yourselves to attack anyone who doesn't completely fall in line with the belief that everything will always be perfect at SWA, and no one will ever have to take a single concession. Heaven forbid anyone ever try to inject some reality into the discussion. Carry on with burying your heads in the sand.

I never said such dumbass. You have yet to spend one single day on property here and already you are implicating our management as to what they are going to do in the future. Why don't you spend a little time here before you start spouting off on things you know very little about. And since you wont be here until 2015 (at the latest) why don't you keep your mouth shut in the meantime.

We don't need your ALPA'esque rhetoric or strategic planning that has done wonders for the industry thus far.

 

[PCL_128]

Whatever you say, chief. Just remember these posts when you're seeing the TA in a couple of years.