Will SWA and AT truly merge?

[T45Flyer]

HIGHLY unlikely.

The JCBA will be in place with 717 rates LONG before the SLI is done. Both AAI ALPA and SWAPA are out there in Dallas working on the Process Agreement right now. The "successful" mergers are ones done where the JCBA is finalized long before the SLI is ever done, both sides know it, and I highly doubt we'll see a process agreement that has the SLI happening before the JCBA. As such, we'll know the 717 rates long before the SLI is ever even CLOSE to being done.

Funny how the 4 attorneys (3 ALPA, 1 outside counsel) are disagreeing with you. Seeing as this is their actual JOB, and not just an armchair hobby, I'm going with their answer. Thanks for your input, however.

I would politely disagree with you. We all know that it would be greatly in Airtran's favor to do a JCBA contract before a SLI agreement. I'm not so sure that it's in SWAPA's best interest to do that. You can negotiate a document, does not have to mean you enact it. This quote came from a recent Tribune article about two ALPA carriers (UAL/CAL).

Inflaming matters, according to United leaders, were comments by Jayson Baron, who leads Continental pilots at its Newark, N.J., hub. Addressing a September meeting of leaders from both unions, Baron allegedly threatened to "hold up negotiations for years" and keep United pilots tied to a bankruptcy-era contract they consider draconian unless they agreed to Continental's proposed pay bands.

Just a observers view.
T45

 

[ivauir]

No, it's not.

The vast majority of our pilots are looking forward to working for such a great company. Truly.

You have to realize, we've been beat and battered for YEARS under hostile management. Our first instinct is to go on the defensive. It's going to take some time to get away from that...

That's what I'm talking about!

Things are different here and it can take some getting used to, but it is "good different".

Let's get this thing together and get it moving ON!

 

[Mickey D]

Thanks, Lear. I do realize that. I just got pretty torqued reading what I quoted, and probably should've played with the dog sitting next to me for 10 minutes before replying. If there is a way that neither side will benefit at the expense of the other, I hope that the solutions offered will achieve that.

Our's is a great company, and that did come with a fight in many regards. It will soon be your company as well, and I hope you guys are added to it in a way that makes us all a better group of guys and gals.

No, it's not.

The vast majority of our pilots are looking forward to working for such a great company. Truly.

You have to realize, we've been beat and battered for YEARS under hostile management. Our first instinct is to go on the defensive. It's going to take some time to get away from that...

 

[Lear70]

So when I buy you a beer on an overnight, you promise not to bite me, right?

PapaW

Depends...

Are you hot?

What are you wearing...?

:lol:

 

[Flyarcticcat]

Depends...

Are you hot?

What are you wearing...?

:lol:

Two dudes talking of biting each other gross?

 

[Lear70]

I would politely disagree with you. We all know that it would be greatly in Airtran's favor to do a JCBA contract before a SLI agreement. I'm not so sure that it's in SWAPA's best interest to do that. You can negotiate a document, does not have to mean you enact it. This quote came from a recent Tribune article about two ALPA carriers (UAL/CAL).

Inflaming matters, according to United leaders, were comments by Jayson Baron, who leads Continental pilots at its Newark, N.J., hub. Addressing a September meeting of leaders from both unions, Baron allegedly threatened to "hold up negotiations for years" and keep United pilots tied to a bankruptcy-era contract they consider draconian unless they agreed to Continental's proposed pay bands.

Just a observers view.
T45

Yeah, that's a much longer story, but the moral is this:

UAL's MEC is not adhering to the process agreement they signed at the beginning of the merger/acquisition process. I would think SWAPA and AirTran would be less inclined to try to renege on an agreement.

It's also one of the reasons our MEC has decided to NOT require the MEC to vote on what the MC brings and also NOT to allow the pilot group to vote on it, either. Whatever our Merger Commitee brings back is what is signed with SWAPA's MC. The end. If they can't reach a deal, the MC alone has the authority to request Mediation, then, failing that, arbitration. Our pilots and our own MEC are out of the process just to prevent what we're seeing at CAL/UAL.

In the CAL/UAL mess, both sides' Merger Committees agreed on the new JCBA pay bands, which brings the UAL 747 pilots UP in pay to match the CAL 777 drivers. More pay, good deal, right? The CAL MEC thought so, and ratified the Merger Committee's solution.

However, the UAL MEC went AGAINST its OWN Merger Committee (TWICE) and said "No, we want the UAL 747 pilots to make MORE than CAL's 777 pilots, making it the top tier pay group". Drawing that parallel to OUR situation? I have a hard time believing our pilots, receiving pay raises across the board, would try to make the 717 pay more...

So, by having the JCBA contingent on MEC ratification vote, it's been tied up for MONTHS and threatens to drag on even longer. It's not that having the JCBA before the SLI is a bad process, it's simply that you have to LET the process WORK as it's designed to by the process agreement which they BOTH agreed to, and not go back on your word to adhere to it.

I don't think that SWAPA or AAI ALPA would want to sour the relationship like this... too much to be gained with a POSITIVE working atmosphere. Then again, that's just my .02 cents, YMMV.

 

[PapaWoody]

Two dudes talking of biting each other gross?

I think your inclusion of a ? at the end of that sentence is a clear indication of your latent tendencies.

PW

 

[PapaWoody]

Depends...

Are you hot?

What are you wearing...?

:lol:

For the record, I'm about as hot as my avatar and nowhere near as bi-curious as Stewie and FAC seem to be.

"Olive juice", "Olive juice you, too." lol

PW

 

[FDJ2]

Lear, you're right that the respective Merger Committeee's are suppose to function independently from the MEC and that MEC's don't ratify seniority lists and furthermore, that the Negotiating Committee's ought to conduct their negotiations separate from the issues involved in seniority lists integration. Unfortunately, it appears that SLI politics has interfered with the process at UAL/CAL. Pay rates were agreed to by both negotiating committees and the CAL MEC, but apparently the UAL MEC believes that their 747s deserve premiere status, not withstanding the fact that UAL already bands the 777 and 747.

 

[FDJ2]

Everyone has good points to share.

I may be incorrect with the DAL/NW and AWA/US mergers. I can not find where DAL and AWA purchased NW and US with a price. SWA is purchasing AT for 1.4 billion. How much did DAL and AWA spend on their acquisitions of NW and US?

I believe DAL's acquisition of NWA was valued at approximately $2.8B. It was a stock swap, where share holders of NWA stock were given DAL stock in exchange for their shares of NWA.