Freshwater Responds To Santorum's Comments

[USA320Pilot]

Dear Fellow Pilot:

I find it interesting that Fred Freshwater did not get his name in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette or the Tribune-Review. It appears that Dan Ftizpatrick and Steve Halvonik no longer see the need to obtain quotes from Freshwater and Fred could only comment Karen Ferrikc-Roman of the Beaver County Times. Hummm. Is Freshwater and the other members of the RC4 now have the media against them too? Now its two U.S. senators, US Airways management, the ALPA president, ALPA E&FA, ALPA's professional negotiators, ALPA's bankruptcy counsel, ALPA's outside legal counsel, ALPA's legal contract administer, ALPA's financial advisor, all 3 US Airways MEC officers, and the majority of the MEC who all disagree with the RC4.

Interesting.

Complete Story

Regards,

USA320Pilot

P.S. Tom Olson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review did not give Freshwater any publcity either. Hummm....

 

[mwereplanes]

You don't have any "fellow pilots". Only fellow cowards.

Freshwater was interviewed live last night on KDKA TV.

For any moro (oops, misspelling there. forgot the n) to lend credence to Santorums foolish statement is obviously unaware of how U got to this place in time.

It's about the people who run this company. Not the employees.

mr

 

[PITbull]

Dear Capt.

Steve Holvonik is off for 3 days, and wait till you see the media tomorrow.

PIT Pres. of AFA has flooded santorum's office with a letter of outrage, along with Spector's and Gov. Rendall with regard to the flipped remarks made by the good Senator. AFL-CIO is involved along with many of the Candidates that are running against Spector.

There is outrage among all labor organizations in PA.

You couldn't spin your fodder any more from the real truth.

This letter has been e-lined out. The AFA MEC President has also written out to the members with his distain.

 

[Light Years]

Dear Capt.



PIT Pres. of AFA has flooded santorum's office with a letter of outrage, along with Spector's and Gov. Rendall with regard to the flipped remarks made by the good Senator. AFL-CIO is involved along with many of the Candidates that are running against Spector.

[post="180535"][/post]​

 

[PITbull]

September 15, 2004

Dear Honorable Senator Santorum,

I am compelled to write to you to convey the utter profound disappointment
in hearing the statements you made televised publically against the 4 ALPA
Representatives at USAirways and literally blaming them for USAirways filing
Chapter 11 again. I view this insult as an insult to all of labor at
USAirways. I thought you were keenly aware of labor's intimate problems in
dealing with this management and the major sacrifices of the workers who
have already lost 20,000 jobs, and the severe pay and benefit cuts that the
employees of USAirways who remain have already endured to keep this company
going. The company's betrayal to the airport authorities of Pittsburgh
after terminating the lease agreements 20 minutes before emerging from
bankruptcy last year must have slipped your mind when you made those
statements against labor yesterday on broadcast.

The facts are that the company's proposal that was presented to the ALPA MEC
was a summation of a proposal that 1 ALPA representative decided to make a
"motion" to turn that company proposal into a "Tentative Agreement". The 4
ALPA Reps voted Against such a motion on a "roll call", much the same way
they do in Congress, and sent the negotiating committee back to the bargaining
table again.

The process of bargaining with this management for concessions has never
stopped nor will it while in bankruptcy. Even the International Association of
Machinists (IAM) have sat with the company and proposed million and millions
of cost saving ideas to the company. This company's only endeavor is to
produce proposals that eliminate as many workers as possible and cast them
to the streets and impoverish those who are left with jobs. These are the
issues, and these are the decisions that are weighted very heavily on
each union leader's heart and mind while in negotiations.

I am equally disturbed that the ATSB would approve that USAirways be able
to use the money loan-backed guarantee while operating in Bankruptcy,
however that money could not be touched while outside of Bankruptcy, and the main reasons we see ourselves in bankruptcy again. The pension payment issue due on September 15 was a huge issue for this company as well as trying to juggle
the cash as to not break the ATSB test covenants due on Sept 30, 2004.

USAirways has told us for months that they would need to revisit bankruptcy
as they did not think they could make the pension payments of $110 million
and satisfy the ATSB loan covenants at the same time. They were too "cash
sensitive". Those are the reasons for the Bankruptcy filing. If all of
labor had agreements one week ago, that would not have prevented USAirways
from seeking a Chapter 11 filing. They had to make those pension payments mid
Sept, and they knew that they wouldn't. The company will now place these
pensions at the foot of the taxpayers through the PBGC and every single
airline carrier will have no choice but to do the same. Have you put some
thought into this major problem we face with the Defined Pension benefits
in America today?

Do not take the stand against the employees of USAirways who have all
sacrificed, and do not single out 4 ALPA Representatives that equally
protect and represent their members the same way you represent your
constituents of PA. Taking a stand against the employees and unions of
USAirways is taking a stand against the American worker of this fine
country. Advocating mismanagements of Corporate America, fostering
Corporate greed and protecting company inefficiencies by not holding the
managements accountable for their mistakes is not a political leader I want
representing me in this state.

I am of the hope that you make either an apology to labor at USAirways or
clarify your statements of why you chose to single out 4 workers of the
company and recklessly blame them for USAirways filing Chapter 11
bankruptcy.

With respect,

Teddy Xidas
Association of Fight Attendants, Local 40 President, Pittsburgh

 

[savyinvestor]

Yeah Teddy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Savy

 

[USA320Pilot]

PitBull:

PitBull said: "There is outrage among all labor organizations in PA."

USA320Pilot comments: With all due respect, that's untrue. In the opinion of virtually every ALPA leader and the advisor, the RC4 are leading the death of US Airways. Not to worry, next week the company is going to file S.1113(e) motions and there is nothing any union can do about it. Furthermore, the advisors have said that the unions can be badly hurt.

Furthermore, I now understand the company may seek out of seniority furloughs and if granted by the court, we could see people like Mwereplanes, the RC4, and others leave US Airways employment. This should not be unexpected because ALPA's advisors told the MEC we could expect out of seniority furloughs to help further lower unit costs.

Yesterday, Bill Pollock said, "As the Negotiating Committee is restricted by the MEC’s resolution on September 10th, and as our advisors have said that unless these restrictions are lifted—which only the MEC can authorize—we are unlikely to reach a consensual agreement with the Company during bankruptcy unless the MEC removes these restrictions. It is the hope of the MEC officers that the MEC will soon make the decision to remove these restrictions on the Negotiating Committee so that we can engage in serious discussions with the Company to work toward a consensual agreement."

I do not agree with Santorum's comments that the RC4 caused the bankruptcy, but they have certainly greatly contributed to the voluntary petition.

Respectfully,

USA320Pilot

 

[usairrwe]

I am of the hope that you make either an apology to labor at USAirways or
clarify your statements of why you chose to single out 4 workers of the
company and recklessly blame them for USAirways filing Chapter 11
bankruptcy.

With respect,

Teddy Xidas
Association of flight attendants, Local 40 President, Pittsburgh

[post="180542"][/post]​

[/quote]



Excellent letter...and I do hope that an apology is forthwit.....

 

[BoeingBoy]

Interesting comments from the article...

Former CEOs Stephen Wolfe and David Siegel "left a lot undone, without any question" Specter said, amazed at Siegel's $4.5 million severance package.

"A lot of things led to the problems at US Airways," Santorum said. "If you're a legacy carrier, you're going to be hurting." And the bad decisions, he said, "were not last year and the year before, in my opinion, but 10 years ago, five years ago."

"We raised the issue of how that would sit with the employees if they find the terms have been changed," Specter said. The change would be temporary, "but you don't know how temporary temporary is."

Yet, Santorum said, "There are a lot of linchpins that are out there, that any one of which could basically sink the airline," including pension issues.

In a worst-case scenario, Santorum said, airline officials could be deciding in January whether to liquidate.

Jim

 

[robbedagain]

way to go teddy! i usually read your post but havent responded but this one deserves the response! way to go!

 

[usairrwe]

usa320pilot stated:
Furthermore, I now understand the company may seek out of seniority furloughs and if granted by the court, we could see people like Mwereplanes, the RC4, and others leave US Airways employment. This should not be unexpected because ALPA's advisors told the MEC we could expect out of seniority furloughs to help further lower unit costs.




If your understanding is correct usa320pilot re:seniority then I hope that you know that you will also be on the chopping block as well.... but if that does not happen, and you are still on the property I can make you a promise that management will see so much bitter unrest that they only wish they would have filed for liquidation instead of reorganization

 

[USA320Pilot]

It should be interesting when the Senators call each of the RC4. I can here it now from statements made by the RC4. In fact, I'm sure Senator Specter is going to be impressed when he talks to these guys.

Let's see, John Crocker will tell him he's holding up a book on negotiating titled "Just Say No," Fred Freshwater will tell him "screw off since he's not based in PIT", John Brookman will raise a "point of order" and Dan Von Bargen will share his latest "gut feeling".

After all, Dan has challenged ALPA's advisors who have law degrees from harvard and Dan's legal experience and highest level of education is a diploma obtained by a GED.

Of course, this will feed their ego's...having a United States Senator call YOU is a big deal, even if he's calling because he thinks you are stupid and can't be fixed.

After all, the RC4 and Mwereplanes must be right and two U.S. Senator's, the former president of Lehman Bros. - Europe, ALPA Economic & Financial Analysis (E&FA), US Airways senior management, the ALPA president, ALPA's professional negotiators, ALPA's bankruptcy counsel, ALPA's outside legal counsel, ALPA's legal contract administer, ALPA's financial advisor, all 3 US Airways MEC officers, and the majority of the MEC must all be wrong, right?

Respectfully,

USA320Pilot

 

[USA320Pilot]

Usairrwe:

Usairrwe said: 'If your understanding is correct usa320pilot re:seniority then I hope that you know that you will also be on the chopping block as well.... but if that does not happen, and you are still on the property I can make you a promise that management will see so much bitter unrest that they only wish they would have filed for liquidation instead of reorganization."

USA320Pilot comments: I doubt it, they will just terminate the trouble makers and keep in their employ those who want to re-build the company. It's called "purging", which many company's do to employees who do not perform.

Respectfully,

USA320Pilot

 

[luvn737s]

PitBull:

PitBull said: "There is outrage among all labor organizations in PA."

USA320Pilot comments: With all due respect, that's untrue.

[post="180548"][/post]​

Yes, I think she meant , "There is outrage among all REAL labor organizations in PA."

Have ALPA's advisors advised Duane Woerth that his Half-Million dollar salary plus perks is in jeopardy? Maybe he should be trying to cut a concessionary deal while he still can.

 

[PITbull]

USA320,

What is grossly wrong here is anyone, specialist, professor, lawyer, analyst having an inclination that LABOR CONCESSIONS ALONE CAN SAVE AN AIRLINE.
I found it amusing that Santorum said..."Now here WE are".

Whose WE???

Shame on all of those idiots, yes idiot- wall street -die -hards in their so-called professional analysis of what they THINK is the right thing to do for this company survival.