It is a sad day indeed to have terminated a service offered freely by volunteers to aid other UAL retirees. The volunteers were the personification of the original UAL hires who came to the airline because they cared and wanted to help travelers. How different the work ethic is now; everyone in it for their own benefit not the company they are working for!
When I look back and remember the special times and holidays missed with my family because I was working and have to live now with all the broken corporate promises (when I signed on with UAL the benefits offered to a good career employee included a full pension, positive space travel with gold card if retiring with 25 years or more, a $10,000. life insurance policy - but after 40 years of dedicated service I now receive a diminished pension paid not by UAL but by the PBGC, a "lots of luck" travel opportunity, no life insurance, the memory of $100,000 of my wages lost in the ESOP fiasco and great disillusionment).
I'm sure all of you kind volunteers experienced similar experiences, yet because of the unique giving personalities you have, you continued helping by your assistance to other retirees at the travel desk. For that I thank you personally and wish you good luck in the remainder of your lives.
What a shame to have done everything right throughout our careers only to be raped as we leave the work force. We gave throughout our careers because that is the way we were brought up and the end result to us ALMOST makes you wonder if the new employees now do have it right - take as much as I can get out of it for myself then move on to something better. They certainly have the proof positive evidence of financial success of this attitude from the corporate officers who have come and gone and broken the great company we built up.
The new UAL (in name only) will not allow you good people to assist other retirees who are not as familiar with computers and making travel plans even though it costs them NOTHING!
So, sadly, ends an era but you will find some other way of helping for the spirit lives on.
----- Original Message -----
Thursday, May 31st is the last day of operation of the 3 Retiree Travel Desks.
As fellow retirees, it has been our pleasure to volunteer our time in order to assist you with your travel plans. You may not know this, but we have several volunteers that are well into their 80's working the desk. They remember the merger with Capital Airways!
We hope that your flights and smooth and your journeys are pleasant. Always remember the "good old United"!
SEA UA Retiree Travel Desk
When I look back and remember the special times and holidays missed with my family because I was working and have to live now with all the broken corporate promises (when I signed on with UAL the benefits offered to a good career employee included a full pension, positive space travel with gold card if retiring with 25 years or more, a $10,000. life insurance policy - but after 40 years of dedicated service I now receive a diminished pension paid not by UAL but by the PBGC, a "lots of luck" travel opportunity, no life insurance, the memory of $100,000 of my wages lost in the ESOP fiasco and great disillusionment).
I'm sure all of you kind volunteers experienced similar experiences, yet because of the unique giving personalities you have, you continued helping by your assistance to other retirees at the travel desk. For that I thank you personally and wish you good luck in the remainder of your lives.
What a shame to have done everything right throughout our careers only to be raped as we leave the work force. We gave throughout our careers because that is the way we were brought up and the end result to us ALMOST makes you wonder if the new employees now do have it right - take as much as I can get out of it for myself then move on to something better. They certainly have the proof positive evidence of financial success of this attitude from the corporate officers who have come and gone and broken the great company we built up.
The new UAL (in name only) will not allow you good people to assist other retirees who are not as familiar with computers and making travel plans even though it costs them NOTHING!
So, sadly, ends an era but you will find some other way of helping for the spirit lives on.
----- Original Message -----
Thursday, May 31st is the last day of operation of the 3 Retiree Travel Desks.
As fellow retirees, it has been our pleasure to volunteer our time in order to assist you with your travel plans. You may not know this, but we have several volunteers that are well into their 80's working the desk. They remember the merger with Capital Airways!
We hope that your flights and smooth and your journeys are pleasant. Always remember the "good old United"!
SEA UA Retiree Travel Desk
