Originally Posted by
WHACKMASTER
Grab your pitchforks boys and girls. It’s ******ing time to get ours. As a matter of fact, we are at a crossroads and it’s absolutely CRITICAL that we get ours.
Historical inflation combined with the most leverage that we’ll probably have in our careers means that it’s absolutely critical that we don’t ****** this round of negotiations up.
I 100% agree it’s time to get ours. It was time to get ours in 2016 also. And in 2012.
I’m not trying to be antagonistic, but what is our leverage right now? If it’s the pilot shortage, then why is UAL management okay with a near-concessionary TA? They’re competing for the same pilots we are. With the information they have available, they must be convinced that they can still recruit enough pilots for their “aggressive growth” strategy even with an anemic contract. Airline management executives might be cutthroat, greedy mother********rs, but most of them aren’t stupid.
If our leverage is inflation, how does that instill fear in management? With record inflation, UAL management was okay with giving their pilot group pay raises that don’t keep up with inflation. Will SWA management be different? Will they be more understanding than UAL management about the effect inflation has had on our lives?
Originally Posted by
Smooth at FL450
A whole lot of hypotheticals that nobody knows the answer to. How many yes voters retired? how many of the 1221 warn recipients will vote yes? How many of the 1400 picketers will vote yes? how many regional pilots have we hired lately vs military? This isn't their first rodeo and they haven't been conditioned to say yes the last 20 years. "38% will vote yes" is still an outdated argument simply because the dynamics of the pilot group have changed.
The point of the questions is to point out that we may be pounding the table on issues that don’t really generate much fear in the heart of airline management executives. If we’re going to get an industry leading contract, management has to be compelled to concede to our demands. They’re not just going to benevolently grant us an industry leading contract.
Do pickets by themselves create fear in management? Are bookings down as a result of the picket? Would bookings begin to dip if we conducted x number of pickets or would passengers become adapted to SWA pilots picketing because they realize SWA pilots picketing doesn’t interrupt their travel plans or raise their ticket prices?
I’d argue that filing for mediation, an overwhelming strike authorization vote, AND large pickets might very well create fear in management.
But pickets alone? That seems to be more about an emotional release for pilots than creating real fear in management.