Originally Posted by
LuvJockey
Just as a reality check, didn't AirTran have furloughs that just got back on property in 2009? If I remember correctly, your management threatened to fire them instead of furlough them. That was 10% of the pilot group, as well. Not sure what it does with the DOH -2 or 3 argument, but if a guy just gets hired, then is furloughed for a year, are you still counting that year as time served?
I don't think that you can get hired, have 10% of your pilots go on furlough for over a year, and then claim that your career expectations all along were for a 6 year upgrade. I don't think that's reasonable.
The furlough lasted a little more than 5 months and was (again) union and market related. The fuel spiked in 2008 (as we all know), AirTran was under new management (Our buddy, Bob Fornaro), and we cancelled flights over the holidays due to the furlough. The furlough was done out of economic conditions, but mostly out of spite. We were in negotiations at the time, and Klaus Goersch (familiar name? - you've now married him too), and Steve Kolski, the company lawyer (A Lorenzo pupil), threatened to fire everyone on probation at the time. The union gave way, and the probationary pilots were, instead, furloughed. There were 169 furloughed pilots. The furloughee's were furloughed in September of 2008, and recalls began in January of 2009. Most Furloughee's returned within a 6 month time-frame, and the others took jobs elsewhere until they could meet their obligations to return. Else, they didn't return at all. It was a lesson to both management and the NPA (our union at the time).
The upgrade time for an AirTran pilot in 2007 was 5 years. It is now just under 7 years time (by seniority).
Southwest upgrades are 9+ years time. -So what you are saying is that the SWA upgrades should become AirTran 6+ and The Airtran upgrades should become 11+ ???
This does play into an Arbitrator's decision. However, an Arbitrator will also look at the date of the proposed merger (September 27th, 2010).
How were both airlines doing at the time? What was the upgrade time? What were the respective pilot groups expectations? Was one of the airlines defunct? How many aircraft did they have on order? Were those orders made to replace and retire existing aircraft?
Will the Captain's be downgraded to FO? (-possibly the junior AirTran Captain's, and especially the ones awarded Captain after the announcement).
However, case in point --- In 1967. Pacific Airlines, West Coast Airlines, and Bonanza Air Lines merged. In this event, the Arbitrator awarded Captain seats on a ONE-FOR-ONE basis. One Pacific Captain, to One West Coast Captain, to One Bonanza Captain. Many of the the pilots at those airlines would criticize the other airline, saying that THEY would be the ones to be stapled. History has an odd way of repeating itself.
After reviewing Arbitration awards (certainly not recent arbitration, but Arbitrators don't deviate much when the merger has similar aircraft types and both airlines are healthy), I've noted that Arbitrators almost ALWAYS protect the Captain.
SO if the Arbitrator staples the remainder of the AirTran First Officers (not likely) - so what. They were going to be stapled under the SWAPA proposal at any rate.
Who will really lose out if this becomes the case? The same Southwest Pilots that have elected Steve Chase, and his New Radicals.
"NO SOUTHWEST PILOT SHALL BE HARMED". Really?!? (*cough* *cough*).