My response to SWA package!

[redflyer65]

Where did this "seniority is forever" thing come from?
It's too ignorant

It came from some Airtran folks that decided to grasp for straws. I mean when you are gaining over 2 million dollars for your career and don't want to give the otherside anything in return, you have to come up with some slick PR terms.

 

[canyonblue]

You can't argue the money, no way around it. It's not quite as much as some have asserted, but it's substantial, nonetheless. I figure somewhere in the $1.7-2.0 Million more over what remains of my career, depending on time to upgrade. Very thankful to be in this position, and have no doubt it will all get worked out.

It's the exact information all of us looked at when we left our previous employment to work for Southwest Airlines, and we all started at the bottom to be part of it. Not implying anything here, so don't run off with that quote, just stating that all of us at SWA wanted to know what career expectations we would expect since we were leaving current employment, some of us from another Major Airline. It is true that the money can change over the years, but you have to look at Southwest as the conservative approach, the 3% a year, compared to some other airlines more aggressive approaches. My 401k is somewhat conservative, and after the stock marked collapse a few years ago, it didn't take me long to recoup my losses. For the aggressive types, it took a lot longer.

 

[canyonblue]

Seniority is forever and it's not for sale.

Nothing is forever.

 

[Luv2BFlyin]

It came from some Airtran folks that decided to grasp for straws. I mean when you are gaining over 2 million dollars for your career and don't want to give the otherside anything in return, you have to come up with some slick PR terms.

Obviously you don't consider your seniority as trivial as grasping at straws, if you did, this would go a lot smoother.

 

[redflyer65]

Did you completely miss this part of my statement?

"and don't want to give the otherside anything in return"

What do the Southwest pilots gain in this SLI? Fair and equitable cuts both ways. I'm hoping for a well thought out response..

 

[GhettoBeechjet]

Obviously you don't consider your seniority as trivial as grasping at straws, if you did, this would go a lot smoother.

The fact is that both in career earnings and relative seniority over the length of your career you will win out of this deal no matter how the list is constructed. I can tell you the same is not true for me. Maybe AAI ALPA will send a FEDEX package to my house explaining the loses that I can expect over the course of my career as a result of this acquisition.

 

[Lear70]

If you're looking for EQUIVALENT gain, you're not going to find it. In just about every integration in the history of aviation, one side has gained more than the other, whether it's increased pay rates, a better retirement plan, what have you. In this example, yes, our MONETARY increase in career potential can't be evened out, there's just not enough money to spread throughout 6,000+ pilots.

That being said, yes, I believe the Southwest pilots should benefit from this transaction. I believe they WILL in the form of increased upgrade expectations, company growth and increased stability, increased profit sharing from increased revenue and cost synergies, etc. Those aren't my claims, those are what GK has told investors time and time again about this deal. As much as your pilots claim to have total faith in him, you also have to have total faith in his projections of future benefit.

As for what IMMEDIATE MONETARY gains SWAPA pilots may gain from this, that's something you'll have to communicate to your NC. It wouldn't surprise me if Tuesday's presentation by SWA management included some monetary incentives to help "grease the wheels" for the SWAPA pilots but, again, there's just not enough money for SWAPA pilots to receive from management that will match what AAI pilots will receive from management for their work over their Southwest career.

Yes, your union negotiated those rates that AAI pilots will work under, but your union will receive dues from us in exchange for negotiating those rates - your new hires didn't have to pay for them in advance as a condition of their employment, and neither should we. That whole argument just doesn't hold up.

In short, SWAPA pilots should definitely benefit from this merger. Protecting your career advancement under the new growth model is something your NC will work out with our MC. Additional compensation is something your NC will be working with your management on.

Anything else just isn't supported by the arbitration process. Hopefully those gains your NC negotiates with SWA management and a more profitable company (according to GK, not me) will be worth it for you to endorse what your NC sends to vote. Only you can decide whether it is or not when the time comes.

 

[redflyer65]

If you're looking for EQUIVALENT gain, you're not going to find it. In just about every integration in the history of aviation, one side has gained more than the other, whether it's increased pay rates, a better retirement plan, what have you. In this example, yes, our MONETARY increase in career potential can't be evened out, there's just not enough money to spread throughout 6,000+ pilots.

That being said, yes, I believe the Southwest pilots should benefit from this transaction. I believe they WILL in the form of increased upgrade expectations, company growth and increased stability, increased profit sharing from increased revenue and cost synergies, etc. Those aren't my claims, those are what GK has told investors time and time again about this deal. As much as your pilots claim to have total faith in him, you also have to have total faith in his projections of future benefit.

As for what IMMEDIATE MONETARY gains SWAPA pilots may gain from this, that's something you'll have to communicate to your NC. It wouldn't surprise me if Tuesday's presentation by SWA management included some monetary incentives to help "grease the wheels" for the SWAPA pilots but, again, there's just not enough money for SWAPA pilots to receive from management that will match what AAI pilots will receive from management for their work over their Southwest career.

Yes, your union negotiated those rates that AAI pilots will work under, but your union will receive dues from us in exchange for negotiating those rates - your new hires didn't have to pay for them in advance as a condition of their employment, and neither should we. That whole argument just doesn't hold up.

In short, SWAPA pilots should definitely benefit from this merger. Protecting your career advancement under the new growth model is something your NC will work out with our MC. Additional compensation is something your NC will be working with your management on.

Anything else just isn't supported by the arbitration process. Hopefully those gains your NC negotiates with SWA management and a more profitable company (according to GK, not me) will be worth it for you to endorse what your NC sends to vote. Only you can decide whether it is or not when the time comes.

Nice post Lear. We don't hear too many folks from the Airtran side acknowledging some of the things you mention.

RF

 

[Ty Webb]

Nice post Lear. We don't hear too many folks from the Airtran side acknowledging some of the things you mention.

RF

That's because you're too busy kicking us in the nuts to hear much.

 

[redflyer65]

Nevermind Ty. Back to your regular programming....