Originally Posted by loveislost7M8

SWAPAs Contract Admin tip of the week: How to Resign.

Originally Posted by ZapBrannigan

That was pretty darned funny if I’m being honest. 🔥🔥

Originally Posted by RJSAviator76

Slip, I don't disagree with anything you said here. In fact, I agree with just about everything you've said. My point is to stop spreading FUD about our union, about our future. If I were a manager like Lew has been suggesting I should be, that's PRECISELY what I would do. I would literally $hit all over our pilot group; my message would be how hopeless it is to resist the machine because the entire group is a bunch of "substandard-TA-yes-voting-koolies." Has it been historically? Yeah... we're negotiating against our former president... Talk about effed up scenario.... Do you see us negotiating against JW? JR? CM? MS? I don't... not by a long shot. I see a unified group with only 81 people who voted against the strike which is incredible. And "the cool kids" still $hit all over this pilot group...

Yes, traditionally the junior people tend to be the koolies... do you really think our junior people are koolies now? How about the 1221? Tell you what... I'm yet to meet a single guy here who even remotely bought off on the rates the company floated. In fact, I'm literally yet to see any junior FO saying they like them or would vote for them. Yet, "the cool kids" sh!t on all of these people and tell them to go to Delta. Seriously... dubya tee eff?!

Now... I'm not telling anyone "if you don't like it here, leave" in the classical way of "we'll never accomplish what you want... so if you don't like it, leave." That actually seems to be Lew's and "the cool kids'" schtick albeit slightly modified i.e. "go to Delta." But if that's your angle and approach to how to solve this impasse with the company, and it's to chase others away, I wholeheartedly disagree with that because we're gonna end up with problems down the road past this. And as you rightly state that things have been progressively getting worse (in many ways they have), that you have no faith in our pilot group or the union to change it while we're formally seeking release from mediation and actually go on strike, when you're chasing away, ridiculing and alienating anyone who says they are here for good, then why the hell don't you follow your own advice, practice what you preach, lead by example and apply elsewhere? Lew has been talking self help since he graced this forum with his presence.... and he STILL isn't happy that we're going down this path. In fact, he never stopped $hitting all over this pilot group spreading FUD about how we'll vote the first substandard turd and the associated misery.... Yeah, I have a problem with that. That's sowing negotiating fatigue and creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. Do you want that? I didn't think you did. Instead, the messaging should be encouraging, holding the line, and maintaining unity as we seek release from the mediation.

With respect to leaving... I have considered it myself. But then I looked a tad past the immediate upgrades and talked to some good friends. Delta has been hiring since 2014, and they've been hiring a lot of young FO's out of regionals vs. old RJ captains. Yeah, it's gonna get awfully stagnant there. Another good friend was hired at United right post-COVID... he's sitting at 70% master seniority there and he's been there roughly 2.5 years. That's thousands and thousands of young pilots who got on the property early on who will likely have a fantastic career. Those hired now may upgrade quick because most don't seem to want to be junior NB captains, but where will they top out? 35% master seniority? 45%? 55%? That's not WB captain territory... that's not promised land, and that's not nirvana. I could still have a fantastic narrow body CA career at a legacy, but does it make sense to leave, or does it make more sense to fight like hell to make this place shine where I'll finish in single digits percentage at retirement? That's the 30,000 view of my homework on leaving, but what works for me may not work for others. So as good as it may feel to fill out an app elsewhere, I'm not going anywhere. Instead, I'm building my strike fund. And I encourage my FO's to do the same. What I don't do is harangue them to go to someplace else. Instead, I share with them the thresholds for my yes vote, encourage them to not compromise, to not be afraid to vote NO as this is indeed the once-in-the-lifetime opportunity to get it right, and then direct them to where they can find more information to be better informed so they can be the ones to cast an informed vote reflecting what they want, and not "if it's good enough for so and so, it's good enough for me." If that's being a koolie and a Pollyanna in some people's worlds... oh well, whatever floats their boat.

Originally Posted by SlipKid

No arguments on any of this, except that historically, the Koolies were/are the senior folks.

Personally, I am happy with the complete 180 at SWApA since we ousted PJ back in 2015. For the first time since I've been here, the SWApA BOD is not actively working against the best interest of the pilot group.

The SAV absolutely stunned me and gave me hope that we WON'T accept a complete turd this time around..... But........ There's always that nagging doubt, based on decades of utter disappointment WRT anything this pilot group has the opportunity to ratify. I am cautiously optimistic. Time will tell.

Since we've been getting new folks in MCO, (which is still a unique experience after decades of stagnation), I've had the opportunity to speak to a few folks about their intentions regarding staying or leaving. Most of them admit that they've at least got apps out, a few have interviews and at least one has left (I've heard). The few that are planning to stay cite the usual domicile choice as their reasons. FWIW, they've all been great folks and great pilots, so I hate to hear that they want to leave.

Originally Posted by calmemployment

SWA: “Our point-to-point network is not like a hub and spoke so we cannot produce a stable operation while providing scheduling protections for our Pilots like United, Delta, and American can.”

Originally Posted by loveislost7M8

Herb used to say "take care of the employees and they will take care of the customers and the shareholders will be taken care of as a result". Now SWA says "Pilot quality of life is of no benefit to the Company". We have become just another corporation that sucks the value out of its assets to fuel executive bonuses and stock buybacks. This company was built on better and now is facing decline. All the leaders are gone and we are left with bean counters.

Originally Posted by calmemployment

SWA: “Our point-to-point network is not like a hub and spoke so we cannot produce a stable operation while providing scheduling protections for our Pilots like United, Delta, and American can.”