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SWAPA Mediation

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shootr

shootr

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 25, 2001
Posts
486
From the BOD...

Filing for National Mediation
SWAPA Pilots-Tomorrow SWAPA is filing for federal mediation with the National Mediation Board (NMB). This process is a normal part of Section 6 bargaining under the Railway Labor Act but it's one that SWAPA and Southwest have never had to employ in our 30-year relationship.

Discuss...
 
Management is clearly comfortable with the process and feels it will have a negligible impact on the stock price. Mediation is better than the current offers being floated out there. Anything Gary can do to lower costs he will, so stretching out negotiations has to be important to him.
 
Have been down this road before. We are talking years before we receive a contract. Personally I think all the unions that have open contracts should get together and call for Gary Kelly to resign. Here are some reasons for my thinking.
1. Took 5 years to complete the full integration of AirTran. Way to long
2. The product needs help.
A. Get rid of cattle call boarding.
B. Assigned seating
C. Overhead bins in every 737 besides 800 suck.
3. Making way to big a deal about international flying. To slow to react on this front. Spirit
will be doing this flying for almost 2 years by the time our international terminals are
done.
4. Total fleet count will be down 25 airframes after 717's are parked at the beginning of
2015. It will take all year to get the count back to year end 2014 levels. Should have
found more 73's. When ATL to PIT only has 2 flight you know your getting thin.

No doubt SWA will remain profitable for years to come. But if we want to take the next step then they have to shed the way decisions are made at the top levels.
 
Well it's about time!

It has been evident for some time that the offers made by management do not accurately reflect the current financial health of the company. SWA is a financially sound institution and needs to bargain in a manner that adequately rewards those employee groups that have allowed these times of record profitability.

If the NMB needs to mediate in order to reach an equitable contract then so be it.
 
BR715 said:
No doubt SWA will remain profitable for years to come. But if we want to take the next step then they have to shed the way decisions are made at the top levels.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I can think of some stupid decisions. :puke:
 
Does SWAPA not understand that Gary expects payback for the SLI he negotiated for them? Geesh SWAPA, you think all those captain seats that were "captured" came for free? Time to pay the Piper, b!tches.
 
Br715 -

Gary Kelly's performance in the financial results and stock performance greatly trump your cited reasons for Gary Kelly to resign. In the minds of investors and the Board of Directors he is a rock star. The issues you cite are almost insignificant relative the big picture, the big picture being financial performance.
 
Mach 80 said:
Br715 -

Gary Kelly's performance in the financial results and stock performance greatly trump your cited reasons for Gary Kelly to resign. In the minds of investors and the Board of Directors he is a rock star. The issues you cite are almost insignificant relative the big picture, the big picture being financial performance.
Click to expand...

Very good point. The proof in the pudding however, will be 1st quarter results of 2015. No more Airtran, dragging down profits and hindering the operation.
Will it be record profits, or less than stellar results? We shall see
 
The only way you will affect change is by hitting Gary Kelly in his financials. Pilots need to do their job and nothing else. He ended the can do spirit not the men and women of SWA. The belief that others will be sympathetic to your position is stoic but misunderstood.

In the eyes of the flying public you make too much money.
In the eyes of the BOD you are but a widget.
In the eyes of the shareholder GK is making them money.

Collectively it is time to stand up and just do your job. Very simple....just your job with the emphasis on SAFETY.

GOOD DAY'
 
HowardBorden said:
the offers made by management do not accurately reflect the current financial health of the company.
Click to expand...

Much like the offers made by SWAPA.

Ironically, the one thing that both sides agree on is the fact that the bar is very, very low. The battle is about how far below inflation, and how much lower than other majors retirement they can both go.

That's cool - My concern is about affordability to the company. Nothing else matters.
 
I hope they're going to deal with this pitiful excuse for insurance we have. It sucks. I was shocked when I got here and found out how much it sucks. In fairness to the company, I don't know how much of the suck is due to Obamacare and how much was already here, but it definitely sucks. The level of suckiness is unprecedented.
 
Switch to the regular plan and pay zero monthly, unless your sick, then pay 20% out of pocket to a max of $2500.

No brainer.
 
I may give that some serious consideration next enrollment period, assuming we still have the same options.
 
Nindiri said:
I may give that some serious consideration next enrollment period, assuming we still have the same options.
Click to expand...

It's in the contract, so it should still be there. Just look at all your options and evaluate what you and your family spend for this year.
 
Oh good lord.
Another inept pilot who thinks that bc he can fly a jet, that he can now run the company better than our CEO.
our contract negotiations have almost nothing to do with anything that you've cited.
Look at the stock price. And the 5 initiatives that prepared us for the rise.
I can make my case as a pilot in a dozen ways before I ever start calling for Gary's head.
In fact, his business decisions, implemented by ignoring the screeching from many of our senior leaders in their departments is what has positioned us so well contractually.
Implement your moronic suggestions and we'd be negotiating with an unprofitable company.
We will make a $billion this year and you think GK should be released?
Wow-
That's some purposeful ignorance there.
Believe me, there are a few VPs that you DO NOT want to take over.
You need to appreciate that GK is VERY GOOD at what he does and though a number cruncher personality and IS frustrating in his leadership style - I can't think of anyone is rather have running the place.

Just calm down and go through the process. And know that every day that passes our negotiating position strengthens.

And you Maru- suck it scab wannabe.

BR715 said:
Have been down this road before. We are talking years before we receive a contract. Personally I think all the unions that have open contracts should get together and call for Gary Kelly to resign. Here are some reasons for my thinking.
1. Took 5 years to complete the full integration of AirTran. Way to long
2. The product needs help.
A. Get rid of cattle call boarding.
B. Assigned seating
C. Overhead bins in every 737 besides 800 suck.
3. Making way to big a deal about international flying. To slow to react on this front. Spirit
will be doing this flying for almost 2 years by the time our international terminals are
done.
4. Total fleet count will be down 25 airframes after 717's are parked at the beginning of
2015. It will take all year to get the count back to year end 2014 levels. Should have
found more 73's. When ATL to PIT only has 2 flight you know your getting thin.

No doubt SWA will remain profitable for years to come. But if we want to take the next step then they have to shed the way decisions are made at the top levels.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
waveflyer said:
Just calm down and go through the process. And know that every day that passes our negotiating position strengthens.
Click to expand...


I'm curious as to how. What is SWAPA's plan, other than mediation?

Do you think the average line Captain won't continue to grab as many premium trips as legality allows?
 
freightdogfred said:
I'm curious as to how. What is SWAPA's plan, other than mediation?

Do you think the average line Captain won't continue to grab as many premium trips as legality allows?
Click to expand...

SWAPA makes the NPA look a well oiled machine. The majority of the SW pilots have their head in the sand and are content letting the same Union lifers make the decisions for them. I would expect negotiations to drag and the status quo to remain for quite some time.

After watching SWAPA operate, I realized there was no way they were mentally capable of crafting the SLI deal(s). They simply waited in the corner with a coloring book and then the company took away their crayons, handed them a pen and told them where to sign.

I will say, everybody is very nice though and it's a great place to work. I just find the union bluster chest thumping amusing. Kind of like Richard Simmons as a DI for the Marines.
 

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