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SWAPA Transition and Integration Committee

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momalley81

Done spillt mah beer...
Joined
Sep 24, 2002
Posts
256
Executive Blog - March 18, 2011
From your president, Steve Chase
SWAPA Transition and Integration Committee
The announcement of Southwest Airlines’ planned acquisition of AirTran Airways has put your Association into high gear so that every aspect of the acquisition/transition that affects our pilots can be appropriately considered and evaluated to benefit the pilots of Southwest Airlines. The Negotiating Committee is well into determining the process of integrating our respective seniority lists, and while this is clearly SWAPA's most important task right now, there is much more to this transition than just our place on the seniority list. Much of the work to be completed will have an effect on every pilot at Southwest. A very important part of this process is SWAPA’s involvement in the transition. The new SWAPA Transition and Integration Committee, or STIC, has been formed for this reason.
You may recall one of the many key points agreed-to in Side Letter 8, our Transition Agreement, was the inclusion of SWAPA at the table with SWA during the transition period. If and when SWA combines Southwest and AirTran into a single air carrier, it will be crucial for SWAPA to be involved in the transition process. The STIC will allow SWAPA to provide a wealth of information that will ensure this transition is executed in the best interest of SWAPA and SWA.
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I thought it was curious that ALPA wasn't mentioned as part of this committee. I would think that having the SWA pilots and SWA mgmt working together can't be a good thing for Airtran pilots!

The if and when language in the second paragraph sounds particularly spooky.


 
I'm going to ignore the rather obvious double entendre of the acronym STIC... Funny though, in a very passive-aggressive kind of way. ;)

The "if and when" language is copied out of their SL8. You have to remember, every communique from both sides has at least 4 audiences, maybe even 5 or 6, including THEIR pilots, THEIR management, the OTHER side's pilots, the OTHER side's management, and, in some cases, the DOJ (anti-trust approval is due any day now) and possibly even an arbitration panel down the road.

One thing is perfectly clear in that post:

The announcement of Southwest Airlines’ planned acquisition of AirTran Airways has put your Association into high gear so that every aspect of the acquisition/transition that affects our pilots can be appropriately considered and evaluated to benefit the pilots of Southwest Airlines.
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Emphasis added in bold print. Their job is to represent THEIR pilots as best they can. Can't fault them for that, as long as the final product is fair and keeps everyone employed. One side may benefit more than the other, or one segment of the seniority group may benefit more than others, that's to be expected. Almost impossible to find a solution with this big of a cross-section of longevity and age that is completely even.

All just part of the process... no worries, mate. :)
 
I thin Lear hit the nail right on the head. Don't read too much into semantics. Up and to the point that the list is officially combined, SWAPA represents the pilots of SWA and ALPA represents the plots of Airtran. Any blurring of the lines at this point would probably lead to accusatons of a breach of Duty of Fair Representation- from both sides.
 
What I find interesting is that SWAPA pilots feel the need to post internal documents on a public forum. Why don't you keep it to yourself and STFU. Let your NC do their job. The brain surgeons in this industry never cease to amaze me.
 
Crash Pad said:
Lear... are we allowed on message boards or not?
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The only thing that the MEC and MC have asked is that pilots don't talk about SLI on message boards.
 
momalley, If you are a SWA dude....keep our union stuff off public boards!!! No this is not confidential, but you are not helping the process.....Moron!!!
 
What I find interesting is that SWAPA pilots feel the need to post internal documents on a public forum. Why don't you keep it to yourself and STFU. Let your NC do their job. The brain surgeons in this industry never cease to amaze me.

Well said, I am baffled by what I see on here from our side. This board is nothing more or less than rumors and hyperbole. To my SWA bro’s keep our stuff our stuff…Please….
 
stalker said:
What I find interesting is that SWAPA pilots feel the need to post internal documents on a public forum. Why don't you keep it to yourself and STFU. Let your NC do their job. The brain surgeons in this industry never cease to amaze me.
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I too agree, it puzzles me when some of our own post our internal messages on public boards. I would like to add heavy emphasis on the STFU part of your post for these fools.


SLC
:cool:
 
I thought it was curious that ALPA wasn't mentioned as part of this committee. I would think that having the SWA pilots and SWA mgmt working together can't be a good thing for Airtran pilots!

The if and when language in the second paragraph sounds particularly spooky.
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He is not a SWA guy, he doesn't have 737 in his profile.
 
So it's still an IF that SWA will be integrating the Guadaloupe pilots? I heard that it's pretty much a done deal that SWA was going to run the two airlines separately??
 
FlyinGuy said:
momalley, If you are a SWA dude....keep our union stuff off public boards!!! No this is not confidential, but you are not helping the process.....Moron!!!
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it is very likely this person is not an Airtran pilot. Coming from the TWA/aa fiasco, one of the aa pilots got a password from a TWA guy and had complete access to all the TWA boards...and apparently passed all the gained info to the apa website...and their union folks. How he got it is the big question...from a friend at TWA, or a TWA pilot using a public computer at a hotel? Don't forget to log out completely if you are using a public computer.
 
What? Like having that in your profile accounts for anything.

Even if he doesn't, somebody over there does; and that somebody sent it to him.
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Ok, how about this. He is a SWA Pilot. What if Bob is right?
 
Dan Roman said:
Than you giuys can be just like USAir, or perhaps even worse off. It would be the beginning of the end of the SWA you guys are use to.
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Speaking of USairways, that rumor made it from the mainland yet about Hawaiian being bought by them, apparently they need your A/C. It was circulating here almost 2 weeks ago.

KBB
 
Guess I struck a cord. I've followed this and any other merger strings because I'm interested in any merger. Although Kentuckies is pure flame bate and his comment about "needing the aircraft" is ludicriously ignorant on several levels. the reality is anyone can get bought out by anyone. Hawaiian could be "bought" by someone else as could SWA. We are all in play.
 
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slaquer5 said:
Dan why do spend all your time hating SWA on this forum? Get out, enjoy life.
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I've never "hated SWA", in fact I've defended them on here. As I've said before, they are good at what they do.
I do call out some of the SWA guys who are consistantly disparaging all things not SWAPA or thinking they are going to kick everyone elses ass.
 
Dan Roman said:
Guess I struck a cord. I've followed this and any other merger strings because I'm interested in any merger. Although Kentuckies is pure flame bate and his comment about "needing the aircraft" is ludicriously ignorant on several levels. the reality is anyone can get bought out by anyone. Hawaiian could be "bought" by someone else as could SWA. We are all in play.
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Wasn't Flame Bait, it's what I heard jumping on Airways last week, I posted it somewhere else with one of your threads, but I never saw a reply... I love it how you are constantly hammering SW but as soon as someone repeats a rumor heard about your precious airline, It's Ludicrous and Flame bait!

Trust me, we don't need your kind of defense!
KBB
 
Ky.BrownBourbn said:
Wasn't Flame Bait, it's what I heard jumping on Airways last week, I posted it somewhere else with one of your threads, but I never saw a reply... I love it how you are constantly hammering SW but as soon as someone repeats a rumor heard about your precious airline, It's Ludicrous and Flame bait!

Trust me, we don't need your kind of defense!
KBB
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Funny, because right below the post you are talking about I posted the following response............



"Your right about us being isolated from rumors, I get mine from Flight Info!
Actually I heard that one and it already got squashed by their CEO pretty soundly in a company Q and A. We hear Delta and Alaska rumors much more often. The most recent one was AK was going to operate us as a separate company. I actually heard the same thing about SWA too.
The reality is Hawaiian Air is the States largest employer (after the Government of course!) and letting it become a part of a mainland company could be problematic politically to say the least. Hawaiian would not be cheap to buy, with a very strong balance sheet and over 300 mil cash on hand. However you are right, with creative financing anyone can buy anyone. Wasn't USAir trying to buy Delta? The other reality is Hawaiian is very successful being Hawaiian Airlines to Hawaii. Our Asia routes are proving to be doing even better than anticipated and we have no problem filling up widebodies to the mainland. People like to start their vacations to Hawaii on Hawaiian Air. Were you to paint Alaska, USAir, Delta etc on the airplanes and lose our local feel they would be spending a lot of money just to have a few more routes that they can fly anyway. Also, they would lose the competitive advantage Hawaiian has being "Hawaiian".

All that said, the only thing we know for sure is everything will change in this business. It really boils down to money talks. There was a time when Piedmont had as good employee relations as SWA does now. Piedmont and USAir were two of the financially strongest in the industry when they merged. We all work in the screwiest industry around. I heard even PanAm is having financial troubles (we are a little isolated out here)."
 
ivauir said:
Really? That is all we've been seeing for 6 months. Not even one defense. In fact non stop open attacks is more like it.
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Sorry you think that. Look at my posts again and you will not see any derogatory comments about SWA. The only thing I say about them them is SWA is very good at doing what it does. I don't think that that's much of an attack. What I don't buy is the "SWA is great and everyone else sucks" mentality or we can kick everyone's ass comments. Also I don't buy the SWAPA rules ALPA sucks mantra, a union is only as good as the people involved make it, we're ALPA and relatively small, yet we have done very well with ALPA. In fact, I would say we rival SWAPA in protecting pilot interests as well as helping the company grow and be profitable.

As per this post, all I commented was if Bob Dylan's posts were in fact accurate, as SWA/CA proposed, you guys would be in for a civil war just like USAir. Pretty realistic observation and one I think most of the SWA folks would agree with.

Communicating on web boards is quite different than face to face as you can't explain a comment in real time. It's way to easy to misunderstand. But I must say an awful lot of SWA folks need to get on here and put down others to try and justify SWA. You have a good airline, but anything can happen. Piedmont was a lot like you (very strong employee/management relations and one of the financially strongest airlines in the industry) before they merged with USAir. USAir was very financially fit too. Yet look at them now. As I've said, anything can happen in this industry. We are all pawns. For example Hawaiians largest stockholder is Fidelity Investments. Frankly, I don't know enough about the investment world to draw any definitive conclusions from that other than we could easily be in play with anyone. (when the Alaska rumors were out there it was also framed Hawaiian was buying them). Investment firms have more money than all the airlines combined. They can take any airline they want and match it up with any other airline if they think it will reap a profit. And.... they could care less about the employees.
 
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Ahh yes-
"the Internet- never before have so many people with so little to say, said so much, to so few."
 
LOL, says two guys with 8000 posts between them (insert little smiley face here, how do you guys do that?)

Seriously, what have I said that isn't true? I'm not saying anything derogatory about SWA, I just don't buy some of the over the top "we rule, you suck" mentality that is so prevalent on here by the SWA folks.
 
and what started this, surely you don't disagree with the assumption that if Bob Dylan was right, (staple etc) you would have a civil war on your hands?
 
I think the fight will leave the 1700 new millionaires before it ever really got started.
 

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