Labor talks at Southwest Airlines hit snag

[usa1]

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/081030/southwest_a...union.html?.v=2

 

[WNjetdoc]

Loooong yaaaaaawn.

 

[boeingdriver213]

This cannot be a good time to go to arbitration, with the economy the way it is. That may not have been a smart move on the ramps part.

 

[BoeingBoy]

Different articles seem to give different slants. One I saw said that both sides had agreed to ask for mediation - the step before releasing the parties to begin the 90 day "cooling off" period before self help can be used. Another (like the link in the OP) suggests that both sides have agreed to ask to be released to the cooling off period.

I tend to believe Aviation Week:

"Southwest and the union representing its fleet service workers filed for federal mediation Oct. 31, providing a note of labor discord at an airline known for its good management-employee relations."

If AvWeek is right, it just means that a mediator will join the negotiations, attempting to lead the parties to a resolution. If that doesn't result in an agreement, the mediator can declare an impasse, which starts the 90 day clock.

Jim

 

[scuba]

However, lets see, who will be President in 90days? Obama. That means him, and his liberal adjenda, in order to obtain the blessing of unions, will most likely allow the ramp agents to strike. So who is calling whose bluff?

My guess, no pay cuts, no large raises either. Obama will allow them to stirke and management will cave very fast so they can get the planes back in the air. Remind me, has Southwest ever had a stirke?

 

[BoeingBoy]

IAM in 1980. Lasted about 2-1/2 weeks.

Jim

 

[does this plane go to paris]

Let me see if I understand this,

Over 1.2Million jobs lost this year, a recession that is deepening by the day. Circuit City announced today that they are filing BK, AIG is getting 125Billion in from the bailout, in other words a bleak picture concering the economy.

WN is talks with the TWU for the Ramp and OPS agent's. The Ops agent could be reduced simply by having CSA's board the flight's and send the computer work to the cockpit and concentrate the Ops agent's ensuring the paperwork is filed. The ramp agent's either are the highest paid or near the top of the industry. I overheard a TWU rep tell a ramp agent the union is trying for a top out pay of $35.00, for loading a bag on aircraft.

Seem's pretty basic to me that should the contract talk's come down to a strike that there are enough unemployeed folks that would work for a great company with appropriate pay and benefits.

 

[ramper_in_las]

Let me see if I understand this,

Over 1.2Million jobs lost this year, a recession that is deepening by the day. Circuit City announced today that they are filing BK, AIG is getting 125Billion in from the bailout, in other words a bleak picture concering the economy.

WN is talks with the TWU for the Ramp and OPS agent's. The Ops agent could be reduced simply by having CSA's board the flight's and send the computer work to the cockpit and concentrate the Ops agent's ensuring the paperwork is filed. The ramp agent's either are the highest paid or near the top of the industry. I overheard a TWU rep tell a ramp agent the union is trying for a top out pay of $35.00, for loading a bag on aircraft.

Seem's pretty basic to me that should the contract talk's come down to a strike that there are enough unemployeed folks that would work for a great company with appropriate pay and benefits.

First TWU 555 is not aiming to put Southwest out of business. So wherever you got your info of $35 an hour is not even close to what we are asking for. In fact what we are asking for is a quite modest considering the rise in cost of living expenses. I understand that our economy is in a downturn (to put it mildly) but in fact Southwest is still profitable. We deserve better pay just on the basis that we are the most productive airline employees in the industry. The only reason WN ramp agents are the highest paid in the industry is simply because of attrition. Eight years ago when we ratified our current 5 year contract we were the second lowest paid only to HP. Heck TWU 555 extended the contract for 3 more years and it only benefited the company. 9/11 and corporate greed have decimated the legacies and instead of company execs taking pay cuts they took it out on the blue collar guys and gals and made them the working poor. As far as the Ops agents go, from my understanding their jobs will be secure(You can stop spreading rumours)

So I make sure that you UNDERSTAND :angry: TWU 555 is fully aware of economic situation and is not looking to break the company. Just merely to allow its members the ability to pay for gas just to get to work. And yes we JUST throw bags :angry: but we are the best in the industry at doing so. We are the backbone of the company and we are literally breaking our backs instead of breaking the bank for the success of Southwest Airlines. We deserve better! Stay Strong TWU 555!!!

 

[does this plane go to paris]

Ramper,

I understand that WN is profitable and that all employee's need to be justly rewarded, no bone's there. Loaded bags for many year's and in my eye's it's a young person's job, too much on the back and too much sweat. One good thing is that the bags don't talk back.

Eight year's ago, when the current contract was signed, the landscape was vastly different. Pre 9/11 United had just signed an "industry leading" contract, Delta had just completed contentious contract's with their pilot's and AMR had swallowed up TWA. After 9/11, United went into BK, same with DL and basically all of the TWA employee's were the first to go over at AA. When 9/11 happened, all employee's of WN were blessed to be the only major airline that didn't lay off and were asked not to give any concessions. That in of itself is one small miracle.

People are now looking at the current economy and saying that it's worse now than post 9/11(not sure, but I see bad signs) and even making comparsion's to the great depression. My point is that the union's need to be careful in what their asking for and should they be so eager about going into mediation talks so quickly.

 

[ramper_in_las]

your point is well made. As I stated we are not looking to break the bank. Guess we will wait to see the tentative agreement.

 

[mga707]

"does this plane go to paris", please take this as a friendly reminder: An apostrophe (') does NOT mean "look out, here comes an s".
Usually don't care much about grammar in posts but this is a pet peeve...

 

[oldiesfan]

An apostrophe (') does NOT mean "look out, here comes an s".

But will the p.c. police come after us if we forget an accent mark, tilde,
umlaut, slash through the letter o, or the apostrophe in Hawaii? 😉

 

[does this plane go to paris]

But will the p.c. police come after us if we forget an accent mark, tilde,
umlaut, slash through the letter o, or the apostrophe in Hawaii? 😉

I think that my grandmother might quesiton mga on his use of the word "aint" in his post on Oct 27. She used to pinch us when we used that word and make us look it up in the dictionary. It wasn't there in 1969.

Mga's no problem, you just reminded me of the horror of my 8th grade English test result and putting the apostrophe in the right place. Try explaining that one to your father who happens to teach English.

 

[boxer]

More knit picking:

Lose - To lose something, such as "I'm going to lose my mind."

Loose - Something is loose, such as "The Landing gear wheel is loose."

"Anyways" is as ungrammatical in written English as "anyhows."

 

[KCFlyer]

More knit picking:

Lose - To lose something, such as "I'm going to lose my mind."

Loose - Something is loose, such as "The Landing gear wheel is loose."

"Anyways" is as ungrammatical in written English as "anyhows."

Technically speaking..."I am going to loose my mind" can mean to release from bonds or restraint...meaning that you are going to show the world what is on your mind. But you are correct...99.9% of the time they don't mean it that way.