Airline Pilot Central Forums - View Single Post - Southwest may make a bid for Frontier

08-01-2009, 07:15 AM

#179

BoeingTanker

Gets Weekends Off

Joined APC: Aug 2008

Position: 737 FO

Posts: 191

Quote:

Originally Posted by FAULTPUSH

. . . I think that Bond-McCaskill protects all employees, union or otherwise, as long as they are covered the the RLA. Here's the bill, on the left side of the page. Swelblog / Swelbar on Airlines - Articles - F + E = LPP^DL: Fairness and Equity; Seniority Integration; Union Representation; and Lee MoakAgain . . .

Thanks for the link. While I'm no lawyer and certainly not a law maker (and I didn't even stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night), I think this is the key line:

(4) COVERED TRANSACTION- The term `covered transaction' means--
(A) a transaction for the combination of multiple air carriers into a single air carrier. . .

The statement made by SWA EVP Ron Ricks the other day was this:

"Frontier would continue to operate independently and separately for a period of time with its Airbus aircraft and personnel. Over time, Frontier Employees would be hired into Southwest as needed to support our fleet growth and expanded operations."

How do you see that as fitting "multiple air carriers into a single air carrier."? As I stated yesterday I'm sure the lawyers were very careful with how that was worded.

Even the "transfer of 50% of the assets" comments doesn't help here because F9 will still own the assets.

I've seen other posts saying that SWA wants some form of a labor agreement before they finalize their bid. It will be interresting to see what that is and if SWA takes a different position on how F9 employees will be "hired into Southwest".

Keep watching boys and girls, this show isn't even half over.

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