By agreeing to these new work rules, you raise the productivity bar at your airline and across the industry - at the expense of quality of life, management expectations for future contracts, pressure on other carriers to beat the new benchmark, etc.
By your call sign, I assume you are an FO, thus likely in the earlier part of your career (which I hope is a long one). The toll this job will eventually take on your body is tremendous and will accelerate as you get older. I'm all for keeping a company healthy and viable - you have some excellent management there at SW and have dodged a few bullets - the biggest obviously is the fuel crisis that all of your competitors have endured but your management had the foresight to avoid. But your cost advantage won't last forever - it cannot. A 777 captain at american now makes much less than your 737 captain yet he is responsible for a butt-load more lives and a heck of a lot more expensive airplane. Ask a DAL guy what can happen when you think you have it made. In less than one year - top of the industry to BK. Yes management can make a big difference, but beware of what you ask for. I'm afraid $190/hr 737 captains will be a ripe target for your management team for your next contract when those fuel hedges have gone away and you are competing on a level (cost) playing field. An AMR 777 Captain carries 320 pax for $170 (ish)/hr a SW Captain carries 150 for $190/hr - -do the math - and don't say you fly more hours. You guys really have no where to go efficiency-wise. FAR's are FAR's. So what's left for management to attack in your next contract? Payrates. All mature companies are facing the same problems - don't think SW won't. My dentist just turned 50 and he said he is cutting back his days to 3 1/2 a week to enjoy his hard earned time off- why can't airline pilots think along those lines??? No, we just agree to work more and have a happy and financially secure widow
Best of luck to you in your career - stay healthy and happy