SWAPA Info packet FEDEXed to all AirTran Pilots

[Clyde Frog]

Who? MC Hammer? Drop the tough guy act. uke:

Tough guy? Who? Me?

Our MC was appointed to represent the collective will of AirTran pilots. If SWAPA is serious, they need to negotiate with them, not us.

 

[texman]

I would love to see the info.

 

[Kharma Police]

Well, I'm scratching my head at some of the attitudes displayed here on FI from the AAI guys. You are in for a huge career boost, and you guys act as if you've been kicked in the jimmies.



OK, so ignorance is your excuse. For the record, there are NO similarities between SW and Frank Lorenzo.

I pointed out that SWAPA used a tactic of direct negotiations which was employed by Frank Lorenzo and others from the Texas Air Corporation. In no way did I elude that SWAPA or Southwest Airlines is, "like" him. Next time I'll just say Texas Air so that most of you won't have a clue what I'm referring to.

We are all well aware of how much money you make, we get it. We don't need a nice FedEx letter containing a carrot dangled in front of our noses on the same day our respective Merger Committees were supposed to meet with Southwest Management. Too bad the meeting got rescheduled.

 

[Clyde Frog]

You are in for a huge career boost, and you guys act as if you've been kicked in the jimmies.

The current SWAPA contract guarantees us almost nothing in the long term. That is reality my friend. Why is that so hard for some people to understand? Contracts come and go with no guarantees, that's a fact, it's a snapshot in time. Seniority numbers don't come with an ammendable date, your contract does.

This isn't rocket science. Look at DAL/UAL/UsAir in 2001. Go back further and look at Pan Am, Eastern, Braniff and more recently, TWA. Bad things can happen to good airlines, it's a historical fact.

 

[Muppets]

It was around daybreak...the first freight train to Omaha had just rumbled overhead. A FedEx truck screamed by and under my slightly used sleeping bag I heard a package land softly by the spillway me, my wife and son call home. I jumped to my feet thinking this must be my new Section 8 housing application! It was not...it was something much better...a letter from SWAPA. As I read the note my excitement grew! "Honey, come look!" As she read...she began to weep. "Does this mean I can get my tooth cleaned?" I nooded with a joyous grin. At the same time my boy was stirring from his slumber. As he began tying his Kleenex boxes to his feet I said "Son.....your daddy just hit the jackpot....no more boxes on your feet." He jumped for joy. "How did this happen?" he said. My wife and I were halfway through a bottle of MD 20/20. I replied..."A great purple and orange angel from the sky has saved us...no more living under a bridge...no more panhandling so Dad can get PopEyes in concourse C." We had a celebratory breakfast of sparrow legs and squirrel meat (fresh off the interstate). After that, I ran to the library so I could get on-line and read of the windfall we all have discovered. The security guard gave me an interrogating glare as I walked past. The local library dosent allow us AirTran hobos inside (even for a shower). After I stole some books to make a fire for the night to come...I got on FI. All I can say is "Thank You SWA" .....no more freight trains to work...fighting crack heads for the last subway spot.....hoping Gen. Lee will throw me a quarter as I stand in my uniform on the street corner....and most of all...electricity, water and a roof over our head.

 

[Kharma Police]

It was around daybreak...the first freight train to Omaha had just rumbled overhead. A FedEx truck screamed by and under my slightly used sleeping bag I heard a package land softly by the spillway me, my wife and son call home. I jumped to my feet thinking this must be my new Section 8 housing application! It was not...it was something much better...a letter from SWAPA. As I read the note my excitement grew! "Honey, come look!" As she read...she began to weep. "Does this mean I can get my tooth cleaned?" I nooded with a joyous grin. At the same time my boy was stirring from his slumber. As he began tying his Kleenex boxes to his feet I said "Son.....your daddy just hit the jackpot....no more boxes on your feet." He jumped for joy. "How did this happen?" he said. My wife and I were halfway through a bottle of MD 20/20. I replied..."A great purple and orange angel from the sky has saved us...no more living under a bridge...no more panhandling so Dad can get PopEyes in concourse C." We had a celebratory breakfast of sparrow legs and squirrel meat (fresh off the interstate). After that, I ran to the library so I could get on-line and read of the windfall we all have discovered. The security guard gave me an interrogating glare as I walked past. The local library dosent allow us AirTran hobos inside (even for a shower). After I stole some books to make a fire for the night to come...I got on FI. All I can say is "Thank You SWA" .....no more freight trains to work...fighting crack heads for the last subway spot.....hoping Gen. Lee will throw me a quarter as I stand in my uniform on the street corner....and most of all...electricity, water and my wife's new titties!

* insert sounds of crickets chirping instead of expected laughter

 

[MILF Hunter]

Interesting, considering most of the Southwest pilots on this board had no idea what we were talking about. SWAPA must be working overtime on Friday night to have collected the data and let you guys know about the HUNDREDS of AirTran e-mails real quick, right?!?!

One of your pilots called me this early afternoon to tell me about this packet. I called SWAPA to get the real scoop. Wasn't difficult. It was interesting to hear about the feedback from your guys.

 

[Clyde Frog]

It was around daybreak...the first freight train to Omaha had just rumbled overhead. A FedEx truck screamed by and under my slightly used sleeping bag I heard a package land softly by the spillway me, my wife and son call home. I jumped to my feet thinking this must be my new Section 8 housing application! It was not...it was something much better...a letter from SWAPA. As I read the note my excitement grew! "Honey, come look!" As she read...she began to weep. "Does this mean I can get my tooth cleaned?" I nooded with a joyous grin. At the same time my boy was stirring from his slumber. As he began tying his Kleenex boxes to his feet I said "Son.....your daddy just hit the jackpot....no more boxes on your feet." He jumped for joy. "How did this happen?" he said. My wife and I were halfway through a bottle of MD 20/20. I replied..."A great purple and orange angel from the sky has saved us...no more living under a bridge...no more panhandling so Dad can get PopEyes in concourse C." We had a celebratory breakfast of sparrow legs and squirrel meat (fresh off the interstate). After that, I ran to the library so I could get on-line and read of the windfall we all have discovered. The security guard gave me an interrogating glare as I walked past. The local library dosent allow us AirTran hobos inside (even for a shower). After I stole some books to make a fire for the night to come...I got on FI. All I can say is "Thank You SWA" .....no more freight trains to work...fighting crack heads for the last subway spot.....hoping Gen. Lee will throw me a quarter as I stand in my uniform on the street corner....and most of all...electricity, water and my wife's new titties!

I'm just grateful to be able to afford a few ounces of Kerosene for those cold winter nights.

 

[Kharma Police]

One of your pilots called me this early afternoon to tell me about this packet. I called SWAPA to get the real scoop. Wasn't difficult. It was interesting to hear about the feedback from your guys.

Great, did you happen to ask them why they are trying to piss us off by chance?

 

[On Your Six]

Sounds like it's from Chuck McGill and Co. My tranny said he appreciates the info and can't wait to be a SWAPA Pilot. Get on the list dude! I said.

Sounds desperate to me. Getting on the list FAIRLY should be a priority, via arbitration. Just see what SWAPA is trying to do, have you thank THEM, even though GK and management sign your checks, not SWAPA. You don't owe SWAPA a thing, GK wanted this deal to happen.


OYS

 

[On Your Six]

Great, did you happen to ask them why they are trying to piss us off by chance?

Maybe this will help more of your guys see that SWAPA wants you to thank THEM for the merger, when in fact GK facilitated this merger. You have got to watch yourself with this. It doesn't sound like SWAPA will ever be happy, so just push for arbitration, get a fair slot, stick around ATL with a higher SWA wage, and be happy. Feel the LUV, baby!


OYS

 

[Muppets]

* insert sounds of crickets chirping instead of expected laughter[/Q

tongue in cheek.....bro.

 

[shootr]

I read it, puked all over it, then set it on fire and urinated on it.

Nice try. My MC speaks for me.

Dudes! This is NOT the guy you want talking for you. You're not playing this thing right. Take it or leave it.

 

[Clyde Frog]

Dudes! This is NOT the guy you want talking for you. You're not playing this thing right. Take it or leave it.

Since when did I become the voice of every AirTran pilot? That's the job of our MC.

 

[Dolce]

CF,

Why don't you quit now before you ever set foot on property at SWA! Obviously you feel so little about the company you will be working for and little regard for the union who will be representing you in the near future. Go to DAL...they're ALPA and OYS will surely write you a letter.

D

 

[GoodTimes]

Kharma,

Step away from the computer for awhile...... or at least the keyboard. You're life is getting better, not worse! Not many people can say that these days.

 

[Lear70]

Regardless of the intent, the timing for this wasn't the best. With all the rhetoric being thrown around by some SWA pilots and a couple SWAPA reps, we're already on edge. Sending something that can be so obviously misconstrued and asking for our feedback (which could obviously be used in an SLI arbitration) just isn't being well-received.

At the very beginning of the process, in Nov and Dec during the round-ups, we already received a booklet with a synopsis of the pay rates and a way to convert hourly rates to TFP, allowing us to see what kind of pay we could expect at our current longevity (assuming our seniority equated to something with the ability to bid a similar line that we hold now). It also included a benefits synopsis, an overview of the bidding system, a history of the airline and union, side letters, etc. It was very thorough, the round-ups were a great success, and overall was the right way and the right TIME to put forth that information.

Giving it to us again, but in a way that uses the veiled "IF the carriers integrate" reference again (that's like waving a red flag in front of a bull, by the way), and right as we enter the last month of direct negotiations,,, Well, I'll just ask "Why re-send something we already received?"

I won't assume that this was trying to negotiate directly with us, but I will say that any such attempt would be misguided simply because our structure isn't set up like yours at the union level. We elect our REPS. Our REPS elect the MEC leaders (Chair and Vice-Chair). The Chair appoints the committees, (although the Merger Committee was constructed by both the Chair and the MEC, technically the MEC Chair holds the authority to change it as his discretion). What all that means is that we poor line swine are 3 steps away from having ANY control over what the Merger Committee is instructed to do. Convincing *US* isn't going to do anything if whatever proposal you want us to consider doesn't ever reach us to vote on.

Your NC needs to convince our MC and MEC. Not us. All we do is vote when it gets here. So I'll simply say "Thank you" for something to read, maybe glean a new nugget or two of info, add it to my collection of SWA memorabilia, and wait for our next MC update after the meetings next week.

 

[Dolce]

Lear,
We elect our reps and Pres/two VPs...so we are different besides not being ALPA. Other than that, why don't you think outside the box a little on this one maybe. It will come to you...maybe it won't! I'm sure you'll be able to always bid your current line in ATL. History is funny, we hate it in school so we fail to learn it or learn from it, but it always seems to repeat itself! I'm just saying...

D

 

[XR650R]

Lear- not trying to flame here but if SWA management is using the "if" word in their correspondence with you, then it probably is a thinly veiled threat. SWA can be very cold and brutal if need be. Ask any ATA pilot if you don't believe me. SWA WILL not accept any solution that harms a current SWA pilot's career and neither will we. This of course does not have to be the case though. Hopefully your MC and our NC will be able to hammer something out that is agreeable to both sides. Please don't let a few hard core ALPA thugs dictate what the majority of AAI plots want- a reasonable integration in line with previous career expectations. It seems a few gooned it up for the F9 boys and girls, don't let that happen here.
PS lot's of moving parts still in this deal. For example, we're now hearing that the 717 sims won't be going to DAL and the planes them selves are being sold to Boeing.

 

[scoreboardII]

I encourage each and every airtran pilot to dig their heals in and show SWA how disgusted you feel because of this letter.