So if the govt takes Self Help off the table, what does that leave you with?

Arbitration or Agreement, that's it.

Simply DO YOUR JOB (With a big emphasis on the YOUR part).

There will be no arbitration because either entity can refuse it and I can't imagine SWAPA ever agreeing to binding arbitration. The parties may choose to accept the recommendations of the PEB (if it comes to that), negotiate their own deal or 30 days after the issuance of the PEB report to the president, exercise self help.

So I say again, if the gov't takes self help off the table you are left with?

I'll answer it for you:
An agreement or Arbitration

so even if an agreement is reached in that case, it will still be influenced by what each party thought they could get in arbitration.

BTW, the mere fact that a union would never agree to arbitration colors the argument.

1seat, they can take self help away for 30 days, that's it! After that, we can strike, the company can lock us out or they can impose a contract as they see fit (that's where donut boy comes to work and the rest of us look at the destroyed culture walking by). Hopefully Mr Kelly wakes up before that.

Wimps like 1seat1engine put the company in the driver seat. If you're always willing to take the scraps that the master tosses out the door, that's all you'll get.

SWA wants changes to our scope--badly. I'm guessing the value to the company is more than twice the cost in improvements that SWAPA desires in other parts of the contract. Alas, the company figures that they don't have to give anything, and SWAPA will still give them what they want.

I realize that the Lukewaffe (PHX base) is likely to supply SWA plenty of yes votes. My hope is that the rest of SWAPA realizes the options are to give the company everything for nothing--or vote note and stick to the goals of Retro (not a signing bonus for 55% of what retro should be), Reserve Improvements, Retirement Improvements, and Compensation (COLA should be the minimum).

This is the problem with hiring a bunch of AF types. They don't have any 121 time to have been through this game before. Therefore they tend to be "yes men" and obviously the company eats it up.

If you're not sure about how to vote, just do what the ex-regional guys are doing.

Spot on. This is not a hard decision. Our current contract is much better than what they're offering. I'm not fooled by the meager dollars they're tossing our way.

Here is an e-mail that is going around that pretty much sums it up.

Guys $ Gals,

***Social Media. It's the strongest tool on earth! (Just ask Delta Pilots) Pass this along and tell your friends they really need to pass it along as well, CRUCIAL!***

================================================== ====================================

A few of us have now read through the entire TA several times. Below are our top 10 reasons, in no particular order, why we're voting NO.

We would all love hear some solid reasons to vote yes but so far the only yes vote justifications we've heard are based on fear of a worse deal, fear of a recession, fear the company's threat that "they will walk away from negotiations for a year," fear of $200/barrel oil...fear, fear, fear.

HINT: They want you to fear! They hired Randy Babbitt, that alone should tell you where the company stands. It would clearly be to our advantage to forego the "raises" and keep the protections of the current contract.

#8 alone is reason enough to vote no for us. The word PBS included in ANY negotiations(s) shows once again the company's view on our personal lives (what we have left). Our Quality of life will FOREVER be a thing of the past. We MUST stand TALL and FIRM on this one or we will forever enter into full dictatorship.

1) Ratification bonus is too low (3% retro is significantly higher than this offer)
2) No 401(k) contribution (only 10% match, again no retirement)
3) Redeye override only 3% (Is 3% worth not sleeping?)
4) SWAPA can waive rule allowing only single DH after redeye
5) Can only ELITT redeye flying for redeye flying
6) Giving away Max flying for FREE! (Really? They actually want MORE free from us)
7) SWAPA BOD can waive codeshare protections (This equals terminal Cancer!)
8) MOU= The beginning wedge to introduce PBS! (If the company says this is no big deal, after all they conveniently placed it next to the last page of the TA, then simply remove page 224 of 225.)
9) Fatigue calls require a fatigue report before getting paid (Can you say Mesa Airlines again, whats next Doctor notes?)
10) No appreciable improvements to Reserve (We all know our reserve system is brutal, our Reserve guys deserve support form all of us)

While contemplating your vote, considering the above and the following…

Fact is, SWA 737 Pilots work "considerably harder" than any other 737 Pilots in the industry. And the workload just keeps coming and coming! Is it not fair to be compensated "considerably" more for all our hard work?

In addition…the company "needs" this negotiation finalized. All signs clearly show that they want THIS TA to pass. One would ask themselves why would they want this to pass so bad? Could it weigh in their favor? It most certainly looks like it.

No matter your decision, PLEASE pass this to your fellow SWA Pilots, they deserve the opportunity to read it.

Thanks, Fly Safe

You guys have convinced me. I guess I'd be willing to sell out Section 1 protections for say $1.5 Million per pilot. I figure that is about the amount in lost career earnings I'd lose by giving away Section 1 language. Unfortunately, it looks like my fellow pilots are willing to give that Section away for a lot less than I am. Sad.

I'm just a lurking regional pilot, but this made me chuckle. It might sound weird... but I can see how it would be a good rule of thumb.