Since it has been posted how the First Officers at Southwest lost so much. Here was a little history.
Let everyone make up their own minds.

Southwest Airlines compared AirTran

Last new hire 9/17/2008 AAI - From 10/30/2006 thru

Oct. 2008 - DEC 2008 SWA No Hiring 9/20/2010 448 hired at AAI.

year 2009 SWA No Hiring

Year 2010 SWA No Hiring

SWA First Hired 1/5/2011

The Above is not coming out as typed.
For the year OCT. -DEC 2008 no hiring by SWA.
For the year 2009 SWA NO HIRING
For the year 2010 SWA NO HIRING AAI was hiring from OCT 2006 all the way thru 2010.
Upgrades quickly and gain in seniority annually. That was one of the career expectations of an AAI pilot. What were they for SWA pilots at the bottom of a list for a few years - slow movement, slower upgrades and slow seniority.
Southwest Hired approx. 158 pilots 3 months after the 9/27/2010 announcement to Acquire AAI for classes to begin 1/ 2011.
All of these pilots were placed ahead of the approx. 50 AAI new hires in classes 10,11,12 of 2010.

So tell me why so many SWA pilot F/O's are upset that anyone was placed ahead of them, especially AAI Captains? There was no movement for a few years. I am sure many were on reserve a lot longer than they anticipated. Bidding at the bottom does get old. What were the plans when they were hired? What did they think was going to happen back then or when did they anticipate to upgrade when they first got on vs. at this point in time.

Every group at SWA had a bump in seniority. Even those that I mentioned above. Every pilot at AAI lost 15-31 % of what that had.