CWA leaders letter could cause the doors to close forever

[autofixer]

Biffman, I am afraid. I want my 15 and 1/2 years vested retirement when I reach age 60! I don't want it to go down the tubes. But, I will make my own way and if all goes well, I won't miss it too much. I don't think that there is a pilot out there--short of two or three--that is not afraid. U's average pilot age is over 50; who wants to start over at 45 or 55 years old? That being said, just like at Braniff and all the rest of the ailines cast upon the trash heap of history, U pilots will be ok; once they are forced out into the real world. I would not spend so much time worrying about pilots--it makes you look like you have an axe to grind, and we all know that could not be the case.

 

[chipmunn]

The issue is Jim Root and some union naysayers do not understand the game of bankruptcy or the state of the industry.

Low cost competitors are eating the lunch of mature carriers for two reasons: A broken business model and out dated labor agreements, period, end of story.

Do I like this? Hell no, but it's fact. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to pick up the WSJ, NY Times, or other credible periodicals and read the news.

Bright and reasonable advisors have told the unions the score and the fact is only TPG and RSA stepped up to the plate to save this airline.

If this airline was in such good shape why wouldn't TPG outbid RSA by $40 million?

Naysayers do not want to understand reality and want a return to the good ol' days. Who wouldn't, but those ideas lead to the death of Eastern Airlines. What labor must understand is this is not a contest to protect a collective bargaining agreement, but instead for the hearts and minds of the creditors. It always has been and always will be.

Either the TA's are approved, US Airways finds a way to seek deeper union cuts (don't bet that this is not being discussed), or the airline liquidates.

Bronner is holding a smoking gun to labors head and for those who want to call his hand, I encourage you to vote yes and then leave the company for those who want to work here.

Chip

Ohio State Buckeyes are National Champs and now it's time to turn our attention to one of Ohio's other great teams...the Cleveland Browns!

 

[networking]

[FONT size=3]Lets see....1. New service to Ireland[BR] 2. New agreements and deals with GE leasing where they will end up[BR] with a 5% share of the company.[BR] 3. UA codeshare deal[BR] [BR]The list goes on.......and the EMPLOYEES are told that if we dont give a little more the company will be liquidated. Just how ignorant to they think we are?[BR]This is just the final push to get labor costs down as low as they can. It's funny how this "threat" of liquidation is being kept hush hush to the public.[/FONT]

 

[wheels]

VOTE NO!

 

[Justaramper]

Chip
What is the REAL issue here...? I'm sorry but you pilots are like babeball players, you have "priced" yourself out of market value and now you want the fans to pay a higher price.
I'm going to vote YES, because U has got the Bankruptcy Court in ther back pocket till March 2003. I don't like the extra $$ for health insurance or the changes they want to make. But at this time my options are limited. You as a pilot group MUST get a "handle" on your Pension Benefits, they are way out of line and other groups should NOT have to suffer, so you can have your "nest egg". Most of us will have a limited amount in our 401k, a "frozen" PI Pension, a limited IAM Pension and maybe some Social Security. We have accepted that fact and have learned to deal with it. To have anyone tell me the "other" gropus are NOT helping makeup the "problem" with your Pension is not realistic...We are helping, by taking cuts NOW....
Think how it would feel, if U could only use 1 pilot in the cockpit, instead of 2....We work "shorthanded" everyday and at times we CAN'T give the customer our best service. There is just not enough of us to go around

 

[autofixer]

[blockquote]
----------------
On 1/3/2003 11:33:10 PM wheels wrote:

Also you pilots,when you pick up the release at the gate,how bout coming over to the gate agents and saying 'hello' or goodmorning or good afternoon and picking up your release,instead of standing at the gate door ...waiting for the gate agent to COME OVER to YOU..DON'T YOU SEE we are checking our customers in????.....thats your check we are 'checking-in' ...the only door I open is for my wife!


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[/blockquote]
I am a former U pilot, however, I was current up to three days ago. I was always told to keep out of the agents way so that you could do your job. It is unfortunate that in some cities the local yokle Barney Fifes make gate entry a mystery (such as PIT). Geez, talk about insecurity and lack of self-steem. I believe the release at the gate is a company decision. I am sure most pilots would rather get the release in operations, but we are not allowed on the ramp outside the aircraft "footprint" and will be arrested by one-bullet-Barney in some locations (meanwhile the terrorist walk right in). Take a chill pill!

 

[Biffeman]

By the way Chip YOUR Brothers and Sisters agreed with the IAM at Eastern and so did the TWU and so did the US Government.

 

[chipmunn]

Biff:

I'm not afraid of anthing and I currently have other acceptable employment options if people like you and Jim Root contribute to closing US Airways' doors.

The game is simple: If you do not like Bronner's rules then simply quit. If you do not like it you have an option, simply resign from the company tomorrow; however, do not hurt those people who need US Airways to survive.

By hte way, it appears the naysayers do not understand business or the risk. Your brothers and sisters at Eastern proved that.

Chip

Ohio State Buckeyes are National Champs and now it's time to turn our attention to one of Ohio's other great teams...the Cleveland Browns!

 

[insp89]

Will be voting NO to round 2 !! I am willing to FURTHER help the company out by work rule changes ONLY....R&D....LEAVE MY INSURANCE AND PAY ALONE !!!! Will the agreement pass without my vote ?? Time will tell...Liquidation is just a threat...One has to be pretty GULLIBLE to think they will shut this airline down with ALL the previous concessions they ALREADY HAVE !!!

 

[MarkMyWords]

[blockquote]
----------------
On 1/3/2003 1150 PM networking wrote:

[FONT size=3]Lets see....1. New service to Ireland
2. New agreements and deals with GE leasing where they will end up
with a 5% share of the company.
3. UA codeshare deal

The list goes on.......and the EMPLOYEES are told that if we dont give a little more the company will be liquidated. Just how ignorant to they think we are?
This is just the final push to get labor costs down as low as they can. It's funny how this "threat" of liquidation is being kept hush hush to the public.[/FONT]
----------------
[/blockquote]

Just how ignorant are you? The threats to liquidate the company were in the presses from Bronner himself. To continue to publicise that in the media serves no purpose but to continue the downward spiral and driving additonal revenue away from the airline. It was stupid of Bronner to make that public statement in the first place.

As for why do we continue to plan for things in the future? DUH! Don't you think that we learned anything from the big bad Wolfs cluster you-know-what with the UA merger deal. Regardless of the (VERY REAL) threat of liquidating, there is a company to run, in the event the employee groups rise to the occasion and do what is right by their company. To have sit idly by and wait to see what will happen is corporaate suicide.

And to all of those nay sayers that feel that this is a bluff, and that somewhere out there, there is another DIP financier out there just dying to pump money into this company I ask you this, where in the heck are they? First there was TPG and as soon as anyone showed interest in becoming the DIP, they were gone. There was no one else. Bronner and RSA are it. And let's just live in your fantasy world for just a minute and say there was another organization out there willing to invest in us. Ask yourself what are the sacrifices that you would have to make to appease them? Ask any TWA person around what it would be like to work for the likes of Uncle Carl. That is the level of investor that you would be attracting IF they were even interested.

Before you cast that all important vote, it is important to get all of the facts from all sides of the issue. Check out the websites like Monster.com, hotjobs, etc. Look at your life today. Look what is being asked of you. Look at what the future may hold. Together we can rebuild this company. Together we can become a once again strong and proud carrier. You have to give Dave the tools he needs to get us there. His hands are tied in this matter. He can't get us the money without the concession on the table. Without the ATSB loan, without the DIP money, there is only one direction we will be headed. Do not let emotions influence your vote. Get the facts.

 

[ANNother Voice]

[blockquote]
----------------
On 1/4/2003 12:34:40 AM insp89 wrote:

Will be voting NO to round 2 !! I am willing to FURTHER help the company out by work rule changes ONLY....R&D....LEAVE MY INSURANCE AND PAY ALONE !!!! Will the agreement pass without my vote ?? Time will tell...Liquidation is just a threat...One has to be pretty GULLIBLE to think they will shut this airline down with ALL the previous concessions they ALREADY HAVE !!!
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[/blockquote]
I respect your right to your opinion and vote but what you are really saying is that one has to be pretty gullible to believe that an outsider who has invested millions of dollars would take the action necessary to get his money back. I don't think that is a reach at all. Don't think that because we've been around for a long time and have given back so much, that we won't fall.

 

[genejockey]

Chip, One thing you had better understand is that the people who are voting no, know precisely what is at stake. There is a realization that their working conditions and staffing have deteriorated to a point where it is no longer worth the aggrevation. For people who truely love their job, who love to help the passengers and ultimately contribute to making U #1 in customer service it is heartbreaking. Staffing has been cut to such unsustainable levels that there is no way U can stay at the top. I guarantee that you will see a decline in the months to come. Of course this does not effect the pilots or even the FA's for that matter. It effects the res, ticketing agents, gate agents, rampers, and mechanics the most. Pilots basically do not deal with passengers, and FA's deal with only those on a particular flight. But all of the others who do are absolutely swamped. Severely understaffed and overwhelmed! Please tell me how have your working conditions deteriorated since all of furloughs began? By the way, if you really want to solve US Airways liquidity problems, why don't you personally begin a campaign to eliminate defined pensions for the few groups that still have that benefit. Over THREE billion dollars underfunded, and your worried about the CWA? The under funded pension fund is the real Achilles heel and everyone knows it. Absolute arogance...pure and simple!

 

[delldude]

[P]
[BLOCKQUOTE][BR]----------------[BR]On 1/3/2003 5:31:27 PM Pacemaker wrote:
[P]To think that after getting 99% of what they want they're going to take it to CH. 7 over a few million bucks is ludicrous.[BR][BR]I wish just once one of these groups will call their bluff. You think after all this work they don't have a contingency plan? [/P]----------------[/BLOCKQUOTE]
[P][/P][EM]yes they have a contingency plan...its called 'dave bronner takes his football and goes home'.funny,i saw several bosses going around for little 'fireside' chats this week relaying the message about how important this vote is to all involved.sounds like someone other than these posters here is concerned.[/EM]

 

[N786P]

Chip we all have our own spin on this... we do not need you telling the rest of us to stick our hand in the blender while its running or not.

 

[delldude]

[STRONG] [/STRONG]