WN Mechanics seek mediation

blue collar said:
I heard that Randy Babbitt announced retirement. Wonder how negotiations will go now?
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They will now go much better. It's true, he is saying he retired, but I have heard otherwise. Possibly a FALL guy for the culture going to **** with all the employees, NOT, just the union employees. Less than 4 years at SWA and retiring? Something stinks to high heaven.  We will see how the nego's continue on forward after this announcement.  Very, very glad to see him gone, never liked him coming on board from the get go. Here's the article, happy reading to all SWA employees:
 
 


Southwest's Babbitt Retires Amid Rancorous Labor Talks
 
blue collar said:
I heard that Randy Babbitt announced retirement. Wonder how negotiations will go now?
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CEO changes at American and United of late prompted a positive change of direction in their negotiations.  Mr. Kelly, after failing to show a scintilla of humility after a no confidence vote from the majority of his unionized workforce, certainly needs a wake up call. We may never know why Mr. Babbitt has decided at this critical time to retire, as much as we will never know why Mr. Sokol left abruptly. All I can say is Mr. Ryan's approach is not working. 
 
Birdman said:
 
CEO changes at American and United of late prompted a positive change of direction in their negotiations.  Mr. Kelly, after failing to show a scintilla of humility after a no confidence vote from the majority of his unionized workforce, certainly needs a wake up call. We may never know why Mr. Babbitt has decided at this critical time to retire, as much as we will never know why Mr. Sokol left abruptly. All I can say is Mr. Ryan's approach is not working. 
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Agree with you. Sokol's departure was the writing on the wall.  He did not want to stick around with the new regime taking over and demanding what they wanted. HUGE statement when Jim left. Hope he is doing well and miss him big time. Wonder if he will get an offer to come back? Hmmmm?
 
The pilots over at : http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/southwest/96921-how-does-ta-compare-rejected-ta-3.html
 
Are reporting their AIP offers retro of 3%, 4%, 4%  and the guys posting are saying its about 79% of what they would have considered full retro.  One guy reported his retro amount on this AIP would be about $53K. 
 
So its not anything huge like 3 years of 30% retro. 
 
swamt said:
 
Newsflash:  Pilots and SWA have come to an AIP (Agreement in Principle).  One very big note for ALL our mechanics, the co. is offering them full "RETRO" back to 2013. We should not expect anything less, period...
 
 
As labor tensions simmer, Southwest Airlines and its pilots take big step toward new deal
 
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Pilots update calls it full retro. I would have no clue if it really is or not.  It may very well be but SWA will deliver it as a "ratification bonus" to avoid other headaches.  
Some pilots I have already talked with have said they believe it will pass even though it was not everything they were asking for. But the true test will be the membership's vote.
 
Yes E, that's for the FMT's. I do not know the ins and outs but, we will all see the results soon. Looks like SWA is trying to come to a very quick end to open contracts except for us and the F/A's. They must back off the language ask they are seeking in order to get a contract. They must add some better protections of current jobs and employment as well as current positional jobs before they will get a contract with us.  They also must add a little boost in their economics offer to come to an agreement by the membership as well as our NC to vote to bring it out. Their current offer on the ratification bonus needs to be adjusted to equal an actual full retro amount plus some for the tax increases that come with the "bonus" factor. The last nego sessions was all about how the maint will look in the future. Our NC will now take this info and digest it to come to a way to counter and come to a conclusion on this issue.  Once that is done, we might get something out to the membership to vote on.  I don't foresee anything this year for the membership to vote on.  It will be sometime next year, but we will see...
 
All those recently settled contracts are setting precedents and standards that the company will be able to present to a PEB or arbitrator, so I'd suggest getting things in gear and doing some movement yourselves vs. waiting for the company to do it.
 
We are getting in gear as you suggest. And a lot of movement has been made and I will say that for both sides.  But I do believe the Union has moved the most between the 2 sides.  I am confident that we will come to an agreement without the help of an arbitrator or the use of a PEB, I just don't think it will be this year even though the co. is now settling into AIP's with other groups.  I don't expect an AIP fur us mechanics until some time next year in the 1st quarter--maybe. Or perhaps the co. may try to get an LBFO sent out to get a measurement of where they stand with the membership.  Remember we haven't had anything to vote on as of yet and both the pilots and F/A's have and the co. did make changes based on them voting down their first offers.  As long as they can fix some of this language stuff, ensure the membership in writing that there will be plenty of work remaining in house, and some adjustments on the economic side, then we might get something from the NC and NEC to vote on.  The last update did not indicate that the co. was willing to put certain items in writing and until this is done it would be foolish to allow out to the membership (just a waste of time and delays)  This membership is extremely unified on the scope language, they are not just looking at the $$$ signs like they use to in the past.  Now with the announcement of Babbitt gone, I foresee better movements and less tactics at the table as has already been shown with the pilots and FMT's AIP's.  We may get an AIP soon as well, but the question would remain if the membership will buy into it even if the NC and or NEC would let it out. Both the pilots and F/A's unions NC as well as their MEC's and international's were recomending the membership to vote yes and they did not, so we will all see...
 
I used to think that we would end up getting a deal next spring, but with the retirement of Babbitt and the pilots coming to a 'deal' so soon after, I think we may have something to look at in late October/early November. I won't get into details of what I can/can't accept on here- but, for me, any negative modification to scope is an automatic NO- no matter how they try to sweeten the rest of it. The other thing I will say is that if they want to do away with LOA 1, then they need to put in the CBA that no one can be furloughed until they bring all outsourced maintenance back in-house.
 
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