from: http://www.bizjournals.com/chicago/...-airlines-ceo-gary-kelly-slams-pilots-as.html
Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly slams pilots as 'no confidence' vote spreads to four labor groups
In the midst of a massive — and historic — employee vote of no confidencein Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly, the low-fare behemoth's leader is lashing out at the rank and file he has repeatedly stated over the years that he holds in the highest esteem.
Kelly, in a video blog post yesterday on an internal employee website, struck back, in particular, at more than 8,000 pilots who are members of the Southwest Pilots' Association and the union's executive board, which voted unanimously on Monday to issue a vote of no confidence in both Kelly and Southwest chief operating officer Mike Van de Ven. The Chicago Business Journal has not been able to independently verify the content of the video, but multiple sources have described its contents and provided a transcript. Sources also said hundreds of Southwest (NYSE: LUV) employees posted responses to Kelly's blog entry, but most of the comments containing damning remarks about Southwest management were heavily censored.
Enlarge
Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association (SWAPA) representatives and pilots demonstrate… more
DANIEL ACKER | BLOOMBERG
In his blog video post Kelly called the union vote "a personal attack on me, Mike Van de Ven, our culture and our company." Kelly also was blunt about his take on the pilot union's move: "Their actions are part of a labor negotiations playbook, and the blaming, name-calling and the finger pointing behavior — while predictable — are not the way we do things at Southwest Airlines. Worse, many of the allegations are simply uninformed or intentionally false. Labor negotiations should not be rationalized as a license for bad behavior."
Kelly went on to note in the blog post "I'm not going anywhere and neither is Mike. We have important work to do, and important issues to address, and we are not distracted by these games. This is a ploy to pressure the company, and this is tribalism at its worst — the very thing [Southwest founder] Herb Kelleher warned us all against 20 years ago."
But Kelly's post comes amid growing support among Southwest's rank and file workforce for the pilots union's no confidence stance.
In the wake of SWAPA's vote of no confidence, three other key Southwest union groups — flight attendants, mechanics and ramp agents — have issued a vote of no confidence in Kelly and Van de Ven in the past two days. Altogether they represent some 38,000 out of a total 50,000 Southwest employees, or 77.5 percent of the workforce. According to multiple sources, such a widespread vote of no confidence has never before been directed at Southwest's top management.
The four unions jointly issued a press release on the historic development this afternoon. The press release in part said, "the majority of Southwest Airlines employees believe that their airline has been moving in an unhealthy and unsustainable direction, and they demand a course correction."
In an interview this morning, SWAPA president Jon Weaks took issue with Kelly's attack on the union. Noted Weaks: "We love this airline, and we are just trying to point out where we believe the company needs to improve."
Southwest mechanics echoed Weaks' sentiments in a statement tied to their vote of no confidence in Kelly and Van de Ven in the wake of the technology outage that all but totally shut down the airline two weeks ago. Noted Louie Key, national director of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association that represents Southwest mechanics: "The technology failure was the final straw for our members. The current leadership has dragged out our contract negotiations for nearly four years, eroded the company culture that employees hold dear, and continued to put band-aids on its operations systems rather than invest in company upgrades."
Transport Workers Union Local 555, which represents Southwest ramp agents, posted this message on the union website today: "After witnessing the recent electronic meltdown that left customers and flight crews stranded in airports, members of ours (and other work groups) trying to pick up the pieces of delayed and cancelled flights, and considering the recent history on the property, we will no longer remain silent. Until Mr. Kelly starts holding his hierarchy to the same level of accountability that the company holds our members to, the LEB has no choice but join with SWAPA, AMFA and Transport Workers Union Local 556 (representing flight attendants) in declaring our vote of 'no confidence' in CEO Gary Kelly and COO Mike Van de Ven."
Local 555's vote of no confidence is particularly telling, because that labor group last February ratified a new contract with the airline. Pilots, flight attendants and mechanics have been without a new contract for years.
Audrey Stone, president of TWU Local 556 representing Southwest flight attendants also today found fault with Southwest management: "Over the past several years, Southwest Airlines CEO GaryKelly and COO Mike Van de Ven have failed to recognize and adequately fix the operational failures that continue to plague our airline. Our flight attendants, along with other front-line employees, end up bearing the brunt of these failures. Management's failures erode the morale of employees, endangering the famous culture upon which our beloved airline was founded."
Late today, a Southwest spokesman issued this statement about the unprecedented no confidence vote at the carrier: "It's not uncommon for unions to band together in support of each other during difficult contract negotiations. However, these actions will not help us obtain what we hope is a mutual goal — namely, reach new agreements. We have been working to negotiate market contracts and look forward to continuing our discussions with union representatives. But those talks must take place at the negotiating table."
Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly slams pilots as 'no confidence' vote spreads to four labor groups
In the midst of a massive — and historic — employee vote of no confidencein Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly, the low-fare behemoth's leader is lashing out at the rank and file he has repeatedly stated over the years that he holds in the highest esteem.
Kelly, in a video blog post yesterday on an internal employee website, struck back, in particular, at more than 8,000 pilots who are members of the Southwest Pilots' Association and the union's executive board, which voted unanimously on Monday to issue a vote of no confidence in both Kelly and Southwest chief operating officer Mike Van de Ven. The Chicago Business Journal has not been able to independently verify the content of the video, but multiple sources have described its contents and provided a transcript. Sources also said hundreds of Southwest (NYSE: LUV) employees posted responses to Kelly's blog entry, but most of the comments containing damning remarks about Southwest management were heavily censored.
EnlargeSouthwest Airlines Pilots' Association (SWAPA) representatives and pilots demonstrate… more
DANIEL ACKER | BLOOMBERG
In his blog video post Kelly called the union vote "a personal attack on me, Mike Van de Ven, our culture and our company." Kelly also was blunt about his take on the pilot union's move: "Their actions are part of a labor negotiations playbook, and the blaming, name-calling and the finger pointing behavior — while predictable — are not the way we do things at Southwest Airlines. Worse, many of the allegations are simply uninformed or intentionally false. Labor negotiations should not be rationalized as a license for bad behavior."
Kelly went on to note in the blog post "I'm not going anywhere and neither is Mike. We have important work to do, and important issues to address, and we are not distracted by these games. This is a ploy to pressure the company, and this is tribalism at its worst — the very thing [Southwest founder] Herb Kelleher warned us all against 20 years ago."
But Kelly's post comes amid growing support among Southwest's rank and file workforce for the pilots union's no confidence stance.
In the wake of SWAPA's vote of no confidence, three other key Southwest union groups — flight attendants, mechanics and ramp agents — have issued a vote of no confidence in Kelly and Van de Ven in the past two days. Altogether they represent some 38,000 out of a total 50,000 Southwest employees, or 77.5 percent of the workforce. According to multiple sources, such a widespread vote of no confidence has never before been directed at Southwest's top management.
The four unions jointly issued a press release on the historic development this afternoon. The press release in part said, "the majority of Southwest Airlines employees believe that their airline has been moving in an unhealthy and unsustainable direction, and they demand a course correction."
In an interview this morning, SWAPA president Jon Weaks took issue with Kelly's attack on the union. Noted Weaks: "We love this airline, and we are just trying to point out where we believe the company needs to improve."
Southwest mechanics echoed Weaks' sentiments in a statement tied to their vote of no confidence in Kelly and Van de Ven in the wake of the technology outage that all but totally shut down the airline two weeks ago. Noted Louie Key, national director of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association that represents Southwest mechanics: "The technology failure was the final straw for our members. The current leadership has dragged out our contract negotiations for nearly four years, eroded the company culture that employees hold dear, and continued to put band-aids on its operations systems rather than invest in company upgrades."
Transport Workers Union Local 555, which represents Southwest ramp agents, posted this message on the union website today: "After witnessing the recent electronic meltdown that left customers and flight crews stranded in airports, members of ours (and other work groups) trying to pick up the pieces of delayed and cancelled flights, and considering the recent history on the property, we will no longer remain silent. Until Mr. Kelly starts holding his hierarchy to the same level of accountability that the company holds our members to, the LEB has no choice but join with SWAPA, AMFA and Transport Workers Union Local 556 (representing flight attendants) in declaring our vote of 'no confidence' in CEO Gary Kelly and COO Mike Van de Ven."
Local 555's vote of no confidence is particularly telling, because that labor group last February ratified a new contract with the airline. Pilots, flight attendants and mechanics have been without a new contract for years.
Audrey Stone, president of TWU Local 556 representing Southwest flight attendants also today found fault with Southwest management: "Over the past several years, Southwest Airlines CEO GaryKelly and COO Mike Van de Ven have failed to recognize and adequately fix the operational failures that continue to plague our airline. Our flight attendants, along with other front-line employees, end up bearing the brunt of these failures. Management's failures erode the morale of employees, endangering the famous culture upon which our beloved airline was founded."
Late today, a Southwest spokesman issued this statement about the unprecedented no confidence vote at the carrier: "It's not uncommon for unions to band together in support of each other during difficult contract negotiations. However, these actions will not help us obtain what we hope is a mutual goal — namely, reach new agreements. We have been working to negotiate market contracts and look forward to continuing our discussions with union representatives. But those talks must take place at the negotiating table."
