WSJ says Southwest is showing its age
 

Anyway to read it without being a subscriber?

Google the article title and you should be able to get it.

Randy Babbitt, SVP of labor relations? YGTBSM. that in part, may be the problem.

Accusing rampers of running a sick out during a blizzard? Grant you this is Chicago labor we're talking about, but it would seem more likely most of those guys called out because inclimate weather made it close to impossible to get to work? And why would you expect manual laborers to work outdoors during the coldest cold streak in 20 years?

Because it's their job? :confused: What about all the other folks who work outdoors during cold weather.

Have you spoken to a SWA ramper lately? There are many who aren't exactly happy at the outsourcing talk they've been hearing for quite some time now.

Two comments:

1) I hate SWA. I just want to preface, acknowledge, and disclose it upfront. Hell, I'd write a song about it in my spare time, if I had any talent.
2) Have you guts seen the average pay/worker for SWA, and the industry? Seems like the average airline worker has rebounded from the industry turmoil a little faster, and bounced back a little more, than pilots...

No doubt that SWA 2014 is both internally a different creature (no more Herb, Airtran merger, etc) and externally a different creature (now it is a major, coast to coast carrier with international connections, fleet is huge, business environment is different, etc) than 1994