Originally Posted by
shiznit
That publication also is a management kool-aid drinkers paradise. 10 pages are devoted to how wonderful the company is and how they have picnic together, etc.
I thought that an union should NOT carry the company's water?
Actually, I think under normal circumstances the union and management should work together. SWA has a management that values and respects its employees. And they back that up with the way they TREAT their employees. That's the way business is supposed to work! From what I've seen, I think SWAPA's relationship with management is appropriate. DALPA's relationship with DAL management is a completely different story, IMO.
But the bottom line on the ValuTran welcome publication (as it relates to our discussion here) is this: Is it factual or not? Does the average SWA Captain make over $230k or not? Does the average SWA F/O make over $140k or not? Do they average working 12 days per month? If this data is true, then they are being paid WAY more than Delta's domestic narrowbody pilots... and working LESS days! Any attempt to minimize the importance and relevance of that to us, is just spin and an attempt to lower our expectations.
Originally Posted by
shiznit
It is a publication that 'brags' on SWA pilots, its not filled with 10-k numbers, actual bid results, end of month numbers, etc. Just one or two anecdotal trip trades....remember that the guy who "dropped" the low time trip in the example to pick up, one person is now flying one less trip that month and/or someone else had to fly the lower time trip be it a reserve or a line holder. Its an "I LUV Me....and So Should You" rag. Little more.
Again, you hold up SWA as a model.... You're shooting way too low and damaging MY chances of a better outcome on the next PWA.
I don't think you've proven anything with your "anecdotal trip trade" example. And maybe I am shooting too low. I'd like for our MD-88/90 Captains to make
more than $230,000 per year. Heck, I'd like to make $1 million per year. But we have to deal in reality. To get our MD-88/90 Captains to $230k would require about a 57% increase to our current pay rates. If you want to shoot for more than that, I'm all for it. But good luck with that with ALPA as our bargaining agent. I'll be surprised if their opening position will be even a 30% pay increase.