WHACKMASTER

Precisely. I'd NEVER seen or heard anyone deliberately breaking anything. Just do YOUR job. That's all it takes.

REF 5

At the time I was working a lot in the union office. So we were getting "accusations" from management about somebody doing this or that but it was very hard to prove. MEC, LEC reps and legal were the ones involved in that, I was on a committee at the time. So what was going on was pretty much heard by everybody. Like I said before their was hostage taking and their was worry to go around especially from counsel. Knowing if the company could prove any of it their was a chance that the mediator would put us on ice for six months. We were pretty much at the end of the checklist and knowing we bargained in good faith. So not much left except to ask the NMB to get released. Not knowing at the time, Gary Kelly and Bob Fornaro were knee deep in it. GK/BF timed it perfectly because we would have been released probably by the spring of 2011.

WHACKMASTER

Not according to the SW pilot version of things. According to that theory (and it's widespread, believe me), the only reason we got our contract was because they bought us.

Yeah, because we never would have gotten released and we were never pi$$ed off enough to STFD. Whatever......

REF 5

Well, this is my opinion and only mine. We were definitely at the end game. Nothing much left to negotiate. Almost all of the contract was TA'd. Just the big stuff(as always). Either a contract or not. If not a contract, either a cooling off period or a real threat of putting us on ice till the spring. Those were real. To say that Airtran management didn't push it to the finish line, the NC as well as the mediator is fantasy. Of course the elephant in the room was the intent of SWA acquiring Airtran. It changed everything. Having said that, I don't remember SWAPA picketing with us any event. Don't remember SWAPA helping us with hostages. Don't remember any SWAPA's NC in the room. It was our guys and our pilot group only. Would have we walked? Guess we'll never know but i'm glad I didn't have to find out. Just my 2 cents.

MaxPowers

The irony is that this viewpoint is most easily believed by those that have never been anywhere near the end game, and would probably soil themselves at the thought of not picking up open time, let alone the reality of having to walk off the job. A real insult to those of us that actually had to get their finances in order and prepared ourselves and our families to sacrifice so much if it came down to it.

REF 5

Well the good thing from Gary Kelly's perspective is SWAPA is years away from getting that kind of unity. Kool aid at SWA is very strong. Stronger than most other places. Wouldn't be nice if a few pilots or FA's showed up to this picket event today and walk with them. Probably not.

Southwest Airlines union to picket Phoenix meeting

"Baggage handlers and other ground workers at Southwest Airlines plan to picket a company meeting in downtown Phoenix on Thursday to protest some of the airline's contract proposals."