brownie

I like to congratulate SWA and thier managment for recognizing thier employees contribution and rewarding them in return unlike what happens here at ups when employees are getting robbed and threatin to a job loss while our ceo's and managment are getting fat on thier 600% raises, SHAME ON YOU UPS.
Pilots for Southwest Airlines have approved a new 5-year labor contract that the union president said has smaller pay raises than his members wanted.
The union said Monday that the vote for ratification was about 87 percent, with about 93 percent of Southwest's 5,900 pilots casting a ballot.
The new contract includes retroactive pay raises of 2 percent for 2007 and 2008, plus 2 percent in 2011, the union said. Raises for 2009 and 2010 will be based on Southwest's profitability — so far, the airline is losing money this year.
The contract also boosted retirement contributions and added more job protections, the union said.
The deal is the result of three years of bargaining between the nation's largest discount airline and the Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association.
Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said the contract rewarded pilots for helping the company earn a profit the past two years. But, he said, the deal was also "in keeping with the current uncertain economic outlook."
Southwest and other airlines are fighting a downturn in travel, especially among high-fare business customers. The Dallas-based airline is in danger of posting its first annual loss since 1972.
Union president Carl Kuwitzky said that while his group "never considered this a home-run contract, our members felt it contained enough positive gains in a short-term deal to constitute ratification."
The pilots narrowly rejected a company proposal in June. Kuwitzky said union negotiators went back to the table to address areas that pilots felt were lacking.
The union said the final deal provided for more scheduling flexibility and job protections if Southwest strikes so-called code-sharing partnerships with other airlines.
In code-sharing deals, an airline can sell tickets on a partner carrier and get some of the revenue. Unions fear that the deals can be used to shift work to employees at lower-paying airlines.
Kuwitzky said the union would try to improve issues of "higher priority," including pay, in future bargaining.
The Dallas-based airline and the Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association have been in negotiations since the contract became open for change in September 2006.

Southwest pilots approve new labor contract with higher pay and more job protection - chicagotribune.com

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UPSFO4LIFE

I know it's been said many many times, but the difference is that SWA is in fact an airline, where UPS is not.

Rocket Bob

What's your point? UPS is running a corporation and maximizing profits. UPS will furlough 400 pilots, nothing personal, just 292 million dollars. Why don't we point the finger at the pathetic number of UPS pilots who have done nothing in support of the MOU. We need RDG and Job share commitments, big time. An hour or two of sick bank ain't gonna cut it. This is where we should be directing our efforts. The economy went in the tank, do you expect Mother Brown to just let us sit around and do nothing, why don't they do that for the drivers, etc??

Gunter

SWA is losing money right yet they treat pilots like the revenue generators they are. Furlough is not in their vocabulary. They foster a good working relationship with their employees.

UPS always has higher profit margins, makes good money even in this downturn, yet can only tell the pilots that a furlough is coming.

If you can't see how that points toward "Shame on UPS management" I can't help you.

J Dawg

The point is the way to maximize profits is to keep employees happy. Its a philosophical difference between SWA and UPS which has served SWA well for 30 years. Is that $292 million short term gain more cost effective than having 400 ****ed off pilots for the next 20-30 years? I dunno, just a hypothetical question but UPS seems intent on finding out.

Rocket Bob

Oh, I get it now. I should have done better in my Southwest interview! I would say shame on UPS management, but this is the way the company operates. I guess I'm just surprised that after all these years, people keep expecting them to do the right thing.

Gunter

If they furlough, UPS can kiss goodbye any dreams of being in someone's top three choices ever again.

Maybe UPS will start a pay for training program to get newhires in 2011

Gunter

Sounds like you've been beaten down for too long.

Rocket Bob

Beaten down? Nope, just supremely pessimistic at all times. This attitude has served me well through paycuts, furloughs, and pension terminations.. If the sky isn't falling, it will shortly. I've been at 4 major airlines in 12 years, I always have a backup plan, always know how many I got behind me. I've also never seen an airline that legitimately cared about its employees or their welfare. As a pessimist, you're never disappointed when things really start to suck..

brownie

Living thru life as a pessimist is a miserable way to live atleast for me. Hope that serves you well and it seem like it has but i'm glad im not living in your world.