Rolf

I was referring to the lack of effort to get an agreement at all. It was pretty clear that your union wanted this to go to arbitration and was just stalling for time until the deadline.
Happy new year to you and yours.

Rolf

WHACKMASTER

I wouldn't doubt that. I can tell you from being close to several people on our MEC at the time that they didn't necessarily want it to go to arbitration for the sake of it going to arbitration. Of course they were open to getting a deal outside of it, but they also knew that nothing that would be considered "reasonable and fair" was going to come out of SWAPA. They were certainly correct there.

Before you say "What's fair to some is not fair to others", I think it's important to note that ALL AirTran pilots were certain that an arbitrator was going to come much closer to our definition of "fair & equitable" than dealing with SWAPA would.

While I can't claim to have spoken to all 1,700+ of my fellow pilots, I can tell you that of the many that I have spoken to not one, NOT ONE think what went down was "cool" or fair. NOT ONE think what we voted in was anywhere close to "fair & equitable". So then, why would we have voted it in by 86%? The answer to that is very simple. Some believed your CEO's threats more than others.

Personally, I didn't believe him but even if I did I still would have voted "NO" based on principle and let the chips fall where they may. His butting-in and strong arming of our pilot group was taken rather personally I can assure you and will not soon be forgotten. I can tell you that I won't be shaking his hand if he pokes his head in the front office, whether it endangers my job or not.

CRJAV8OR

He has an open door policy and states publicly that he wants to hear your input, please let him know how you feel.

WHACKMASTER

He, your pilot group, and your pilots should know how we feel. Actually, in talking to a few friends who've transitioned and/or attended the dinner hosted by SWA management for the 20 or so AAI pilots, there have been quite a few who have stepped up to the plate, not held back, and spoken (and spoken well) for our pilot group. There is absolutely ZERO doubt that G.K. knows how we feel. I've spoken to several that have attended that particular dinner in question and they did NOT hold back in letting him know. As a matter of fact to the point where he became very visibly irritated at one of our MCO F/Os. Your CEO knows. Trust me.

You (meaning ALL of you) know how we feel. Please don't try to insult my/our intelligence by denying the obvious. In fact, if you take away anything that I have to say between all this back and forth bickering between you and me it's that we'd have a lot more respect for you all and could probably start "the healing process" if you simply lived up to this FACT:

You set out to screw us from the start, you tried to screw us, you conspired with your management to screw us, and then you (SWAPA) sat quietly in the corner of the room while your management threatened to screw us if we didn't vote for the second piece of garbage that was thrown across the table.

If you'll admit that (honestly admit that), I'd have a lot more respect for, but if the truth be told I can barely stomach making eye contact with any of you in passing in the terminals. That is not just my sentiment, but the sentiment of MANY of my fellow pilots.

So go ahead and throw your counter arguments back at me and make all the justifications that help you sleep better at night, but the fact of the matter remains that if you at least own up to what went down and your plan from the get-go, at least you'd garner a little respect from us.

P.S. Don't mistake the niceness of those that have transitioned for genuine niceness. You shouldn't be surprised to know that a lot of it is for the sake of "keeping the peace" in the work environment. That's not me talking, but many of my coworkers that have already crossed the partition.

WHACKMASTER

Besides, the target on my back's big enough already...don't ya think?

blakman7

Good luck with that WM. I think you'd see the face of God before any SWA pilot/management owns up to what they did to the AT guys. A scar might start to form instead of an open flesh wound the day that happens. If everyone else in the industry can understand what happened and how jacked up it was and SWA still doesn't (via honest stupidity or deliberate stupidity), I wouldn't count on anyone manning up bro. Not trying to slam you or anything, just sayin'

CRJAV8OR

So, if I understand your positions correctly, you are willing to: vote no on a proposal out of principle in an anonymous union ballot, complain endlessly on anonymous internet forums, and rely on others go on the record with management personnel to air the grievances that your principles require you to hold so deeply.

WHACKMASTER

Are you seriously asking me this?! Let's assume that you are. It was a dinner for 20 AT pilots, TWENTY. That's 20 out of 1,700 requiring a special invite. Assuming I even put in to go.......... you get my drift.

If you read my post above you'll note that I can barely stand to make eye contact with my new Overlords as we pass in the terminal, much less shoot the schit standing in line for coffee. What on God's green earth makes you think I'd want to spend a whole evening schmoozing with SWA management, SWAPA or SWA anything? I already dread having to go to DAL for a whole month to undergo brainwashing.

Sorry bro. Others can fake it. I can't.

WHACKMASTER

Oh and just so you don't think it's just me, I fly with guys all the time that like me deliberately try to non-rev/js on other airlines just so we don't have to ride you guys.

It's not that we getting treated poorly on SWA (with the VERY occasional bad experience excluded). It's just that there's a lot of deep-seated, um how do I not sugar coat this..........HATE for you guys because of what went down.

Take it personally, stick your head in the sand, or just call me a fringe radical, but I'm tell you the truth and the current mindset of a lot of us.

V169

Your CSA's got date of here in ther TA. Your FA's only lost 2.5 years of seniority in every base except ATL and MCO and got right of return to both. Seems like you had the wrong union going to bat for you since GK was unable to "screw" the rest of the AT employee groups like he did the pilots.

Looking forward to the "We're Not Really Happy Day" on 1 Jan 2015 when you all show up wearing teal ties and come out of the closet with how much you hate being at SWA . . .