The Beginning of the End of Labor Peace at SWA

[O&M]

How do you think they make themselves more competitive? I can't believe how fast 2 1/2 people can turn a plane. If you can't do it with that then I think the system is flawed. I'd like to hear your comments.

Good question. Beats me how they do it. But the only reason to outsource work is because an outside vendor can do it more economically, in theory anyway.

It doesn't seem like a smart move to me. What they save in dollars, they seem likely to lose in other ways

 

[Cptnchia]

It doesn't seem like a smart move to me. What they save in dollars, they seem likely to lose in other ways

When had this logic ever failed an airline management group? "Stepping over dollars to save pennies" is a mission statement for some of the bozos.

 

[O&M]

Perhaps so, but Southwest management (at least up to this point) is generally not in the habit of doing things that hurt the carrier, as the last 40 years of profits can attest to.

 

[Roger Roger]

I have deep and special love for SWA, and it distresses me to see them making moves like this.

Part of what has made them successful is NOT doing things like other airlines. This doesn't bode well.

Its a shame, too. I just learned that AirTran flies outta DCA down to CLT, which means I can stop using ScareWays. I'm going to try and use SWA and AirTran as much as possible, but I worry.

Yeah, at least from an outside view they seem headed down a road that ends with them being Just Another Crappy Airline.

 

[JrsyGuy]

Could just be a tactic they are using as leverage to lower other parts of their contract even though they really don't have plans to outsource...

 

[SlumTodd_Millionaire]

No, I think it's pretty clear that they want the ability to outsource. Their rationale is that they have markets that they want to serve that don't justify a large number of flights, and without large numbers of flights, they can't justify full-time in-house staff for ramp and customer service. It's not a bad argument, actually. AirTran has outsourced ground service in those sorts of stations for years.

 

[little_cricket]

No, I think it's pretty clear that they want the ability to outsource. Their rationale is that they have markets that they want to serve that don't justify a large number of flights, and without large numbers of flights, they can't justify full-time in-house staff for ramp and customer service. It's not a bad argument, actually. AirTran has outsourced ground service in those sorts of stations for years.

Yep and the union agreed... Or, at least did... In their last contract, they gave company ability to outsource stations up to 15 flights a day for a larger pay raise. I guess, they weren't expecting the company to actually use that provision. A little buyers' remorse, I guess...