Flight Attendants at Southwest Reject Tenative Agreement

Notice who the Southwest spokes person is.....Randy Babbit, the airline’s senior vice president of labor relations. In Mr Babbit's pervious life.

Eastern Airlines - Pilot
Airline Pilots Association - Union chairman
FAA - Administrator ended after he resigned having had some difficulty with the law.

Since 2008 employers have pointed to the "poor" economy and low inflation to keep a stranglehold on wages. Airlines have done pretty well during this period merging, inventing new lines of revenue (bag, change, & meal fees), enjoying low fuel prices and interest rates on new aircraft so low it has ceased to be an important business decision.

What management is doing with wages is going to bite the fleshy hind portion very hard. In order to stimulate the general economy workers need to have money to spend. For them to offer one niggardly contract after another will "train" workers to not vote for even a reasonable contract.

If management does get a low wage deal they will not have labor peace when the government raises the central bank rate and inflation rises.

If i was a flight attendant I would tell them to shove it.

It's kinda strange that the Airline that has been noted for labor peace and employee gung ho over the years has had 2 contract turndowns in as many weeks. I guess that's the difference in a people person and now a bean counter at the top. If he is not careful, Herb will see his legacy unravel before his eyes.

This is surely going to test his sobriety. SWA is all grown up now. Get some popcorn: This is going to be fun to watch(unless you have skin in the game). We are going to find out if they can pee in the high grass.

Not very surprising..

Seemed a bit lopsided to me. Wonder what was in it that smelled so bad. Found some info here. Work rule changes such as work day 10.5 --> 12 hrs, among others.

http://www.dallasnews.com/business/airline-industry/20150724-southwest-flight-attendants-reject-contract-by-big-margin.ece