1Seat 1Engine

Honest question then: What was the metric that made the AT board of directors decide to cash out as opposed to continuing independent operations?

I do not argue that the AT employees have built a company of value. Don't get me wrong.

But the irrefutable fact is that this isn't a hostile takeover. The AT board of directors sold the company. Why?

newKnow

So they could get paid?

(BTW, they are no different than any other BOD.)

80ktsClamp

Because it's a merger acquisition (merger in the eyes of an arbiter, hint hint...) and there was enough money on the table to buy them out.

1Seat 1Engine

So what you guys are saying is by the most important metric, the board of directors thought they had a better option than contineing operations?

Boogie Nights

That is the 1.4 billion dollar question or in the BOD case the multi-miillion dollar reward question. When I got hired; week one. We had a coversation via teleconference with the president of Airtran. He talked about how great AT was. How we had been making money for years.

I asked him why no one had tried to take us over if we were doing so well. There was a long pause and Joe Leonard says "I have been wondering that too" come to find out later he apporached SWA something like 6 times trying to make a deal.

I believe Airtran was created to be sold (at lease since 1999). I believe we were always a cash cow for management and the paid BOD. I am amazed at the silk purse created from a sows ear that AT became.

We had great MANAGEMENT at Airtran just no leadership. That is why everyone cheered when SWA bought us.

Maybe this is the price we will pay to get decent leadership.

However ths turns out the majority of folks will I feel be happy, hard working and productive SWA employees if given half a chance.

Just my thougts

B-

LuvJockey

Gotta love the Alaska, Delta, and others STILL chiming in on an AirTran/Southwest thread, talking about an agreement that I haven't even seen yet. Outstanding.

Nice to see Delta and Alaska working together on something other than outsourcing Delta mainline routes.

Must have something to do with ALPA dues, less members left to pay the TWA judgement special assessment.


Most at both SWA and AirTran will be great to work with after this drama is over.

cencal83406

SWA management / SWAPA created drama, as it were. I find it interesting that the SWA guys are dismissing the knowledge of employees at companies that have been through the merger game and whose companies have existed far longer than SWA. Heck, the regional my parent company recently acquired has been around longer than SWA.

sailingfun

The Delta guys have been through this many times. When I am involved in something new I generally welcome help from those that have done it before. No one has ever seen the type behavior and attempts to ram a seniority list down someones throat like this. In the last Delta merger we did essentially what your doing. Once management stated the merger was happening we negotiated and could not get a agreement. No pressure or threats from either side. We then took the list to arbitration as per the transition agreement. Why is SWAPA so afraid of arbitration? Why so much angst? It just surprises those looking in on the process. Why did SWAPA agree on arbitration in the first place if they intended to avoid it at all costs?

LuvJockey

First, holding up Delta as the way things ought to be is hilarious.

Second, an agreement voted on by both parties is preferable to arbitration because arbitration is a complete crapshoot. As much as you'd like this to be a train wreck, it aint gonna happen.

Can't wait to hear more lectures from the other ALPA National apologists (Pineapple Guy) criticizing SWAPA.

Rather B Fishin

You bring up a great point. Why is SWA/SWAPA so adamantly opposed to the AT pilots exercising their legal right of arbitration? I see a lot of posts advocating a sense of bullying on SWA/SWAPA's part. If you truly feel you have offered the AT pilots the "fairest" deal around there should be no trepidation on SWAPAs part heading into arbitration.