Hardball: 4/12/05 - Ual Vs Flight Attendants

[spacewaitress]

United Airlines Asks Judge to OK Cuts

By James F. Peltz
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

April 12, 2005

United Airlines, feuding with its flight attendants over a new cost-saving contract, Monday asked a Bankruptcy Court judge to settle the matter by allowing United to lower wages and benefits for its 15,500 flight attendants.

Declaration of war?

 

[ZMAN777]

And is there something here that is a surprise to you? It's not like you thought you'd get to keep your current benefits did you? Surely AFA hadn't been telling you all you'd keep your pension when everyone else is losing theirs. Yawn!

Cheers,
Z B)

 

[spacewaitress]

The way I read it, the company now wants to abrogate the current agreement as a result of the AFA's statement that its void if management doesn't live up to their concessionary obligations.

Pensions? This is more than that.

 

[Fly]

Heck, we haven't even gotten used to this last paycut (how many checks so far? 3, 4?) It's very underhanded to take a paycut 3 months ago and they then go to the judge anyway and ask for more (all the time they (mgmt) are receiving bonuses) Shameful!!

 

[spacewaitress]

I guess they don't like those uppity flight attendants publicly calling them on their deceit.

 

[JungleClone]

As Zman pointed out, is anyone surprised by this? This won't be the last round of pay/benefit cuts. It's inevitable. United lost $10 million in cash per day in the 1st Quarter. That's after we've already trimmed billions in costs. We are nowhere close to break-even, let alone profitability. Tilton, Brace and Hacker (does anyone know if this guy is even still breathing?) have no realistic business plan for sustained profitability, as evidenced by their continual petition for extension of exclusivity in filing a plan of reorganization for the company. I just don't think these guys have any idea how to bring us back to the top. Why would they when they get large 6-figure bonuses even when we post large losses? Where is the accountability that they continue to preach each week? We're all being held accountable. But where's the accountability in the executive suite? How in God's name does an inept, elitist, know-it-all like Jake Brace manage to hold on to his job when he presided over the complete and utter destruction of United's balance sheet? Same thing with Hacker. These two helped put us where we are today with their supposed strategic thinking.

There is no plan folks. They're in over their heads. And until a REAL senior management team shows up, nothing will change.

 

[Kev3188]

So if it does come to aborgtion, does Hayes' threat/promise of a strike still stand?

 

[Bear96]

Who is Hayes?

 

[Travelpro72]

I tell ya...... It's just like reading the US Airways threads. We have been through all this as well more times than I even care to think about. People that I know here are losing everything left and right. 8 years as a f/a and will just barely clear $30,000.00 BEFORE taxes. We are to live HOW?....... Stand up and fight. Whether everyone else bends or not has nothing to do with what AFA and the f/a's at United do. If the ship goes down just know you stood up and said ENOUGH.... I'm sure there are some that will wanna bash my comment somehow. As we said over here, "down your throat by management or up the rear by the judge". :blink:

 

[herkav8r]

Well then, I guess you US Air FA better stand up and sink your company so we can get rid of some extra capacity.

 

[Travelpro72]

Ya see where this always goes...... UNITED is in NOOOOOOO way in better shape than US. If anything we are lightyears ahead of you in reorganization. Am I happy with what we ended up with?, NO! ! ! ! From one airline employee to another I'm saying to not bend as others have. EVERYTHING US Airways has achieved in BK is setting the tone for what other airlines are gonna demand from YOU. I only hope that you can protect what we tried to and lost at. Go away?..... grow up. You can only fly to china and ignore your problems here in the us for so long. we shall sit back and watch.........i wish everyone luck and the best.

 

[Fly]

You must be joking, right?

 

[Travelpro72]

NO! I'm not kidding. And why is it that there is this bs between airline employees of different companies? It makes absolutely noooo sense. Defending an airline that doesnt like you? It is quite silly. No legacy carrier is looking out for employees by ANY stretch of the imagination. To add, when I said we at US were lightyears ahead of United in reorganization was in regards to contract raping. Lets just say that NONE of the "big" airlines are out of the woods and neither are the employees who's trees management will continue to pick from. As another AFA represented f/a at US I stand behind you at U not hope for your demise as many do US. To be perfectly honest who cares?

 

[uafa21]

travelpro72 - You said it well. This company is very badly managed. I'm so tied of hearing all the airlines are doing poorly. WHO CARES !

Ticket prices have to come up. Not by $5 per segment, but by at least $100 or more for a r/t. We can't keep subsidizing this company. Tilton is a complete imbacile if he thinks we will just stand by and let him cut wages again. And the judge, Ua must be lining his pocket.

This is complete bad business to send each plane out at a loss. I wonder how much was saved by Den being closed Sunday.

 

[UAL_TECH]

The AFA has made a bold move and threatened to rescind their contract as ‘The Company’ has not honored their obligations as is stipulated in the agreement (big surprise there). In an answer to this threat, ‘The Company’ will now seek abrogation of the AFA contract.

The AFA has just been ‘Bit$h Slapped’!!!

View attachment 2767

Look for the AFA to recant on their posturing (as they have always done in the past) and make good with their master.

All of this posturing is well and good but we are ‘all’ faced with the facts that not one Union has had the stones to back up their ‘threat’ of a strike for many years. Most of us speculated that after 3 (or 4?) rounds of capitulation from USAir that one of their Unions would have had the wherewithal to say ‘ENOUGH’!!!

(Much less discuss the Unions out of BK that have bobbed the knob)

However, they didn’t and now they are resigned to ‘their’ fate! But their lack of intestinal fortitude has contributed to the decimation of our futures. The baton is passed (once again) to the next group as we play musical chairs. We will ‘all’ (as the circle continues) play this game until “WE†have had enough and take a stand.

This reaction by ‘The Company’ is not only for the AFA, but serves as a warning for all the Union represented employees that have not agreed to ‘join in the plan’ (whatever that may be) here at the ‘Lazy U’. The final words from ‘The Company’ is for ‘ALL’ of us to ‘capitulate’ or ‘abrogate’, as it does not matter to them which way the axe falls. ‘The Company’ is in firm belief that ‘Da Judge’ will not only allow abrogation of our contracts but will block a strike action as well.

The current situation was not caused by ‘US’!!!

It is time that the ‘Battered Wife’ syndrome in the industry is stopped!!!

It is time for ‘US’ to stand erect!!!

JMHO,
B) UT