Here comes the judge!

[Zephyr]

[blockquote]
----------------
On 2/20/2003 9:07:11 AM chipmunn wrote:

USAirBoyA330:

I'm not free to discuss it, but you're wrong.

Chip
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[/blockquote]


A330 I was almost convinced but...now I know you are wrong. I am sorry, Chip has persuaded me with an argument that I just can't forget.

 

[av8orwife]

Chip,

I have a couple of questions.

Why do you object soooo much with the termination of the Defined Benefit Plan and having it replaced with a Defined Contribution Plan, ASSUMING the Contribution plan is adequately funded.

Couldn't this be a win-win for everyone. I'm not stupid enough to believe it would ever be fair, but perhaps a compromise.

As for a strike, I don't know how united ALPA is or if anyone has really polled the pilots on this issue. My husband will not vote for a Strike. He is a soft spoken individual and doesn't see the need to burn the house down. We as a family are still better off with a job than starting over.

So what foreign country could a 51 year old airline pilot get a job as a Captain???Any help on future employment ?? but somehow I don't know how realistic an opportunity it is....

Chip, for the most part I appreciate the information you bring to this forum. But somehow I feel you are too close to this issue to look at the big picture. There are other employees that work for U besides the pilots who depend on the Company for the salary to feed their families. Isn't it an option to let the Company do what it has to do and if you don't like it quit??

And isn't it smarter to wait until the Company has money to pay for ALPA's dempands than to strike when it doesn't???

Shouldn't any talk of a strike wait until the Company turns a profit??? Seems to me that you would have a greater chance of actually getting $$ rather than now facing a Chapter 7, where nobody wins...



KJB

 

[chipmunn]

Slam&click:

I can assure you I talk with the top people at US, the Flight Department, ALPA, Wall Street, and key members of federal government. Aviation is a small world, especially for those of us with different disciplines, such as the military. You have a choice when you read my posts and that is to decide how you want to interpret what I write, but I can assure you, everything I write is accurate to the best of my ability.

Usfliboi, much of what you say is true, but ALPA has a plan of attack and there are interesting contingencies being discussed. Tomorrow will not end this debate or the battle, and ALPA has not played all of its cards.

Chip

 

[chipmunn]

Slam&click:

Slam&click said: "I choose to read between the ego, er, lines, thanks."

Chip comments: Slam&click, with all due respect, if you are going to publicly insult somebody, do you have the courage to "honestly" identify yourself? Personally, I doubt you do.

Chip

 

[Slam&Click]

[blockquote]
----------------
On 2/20/2003 12:44:46 PM chipmunn wrote:

Slam&Click:

Slam&click said: "Will you kindly name your expert?"

Chip answers: No, I do not reveal sources or conversations held in confidence.

Chip
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[/blockquote]

Obviously, I'd meant that you should do so through the private message system. Mr. Munn, in a great many of your posts, you run just shy of revealing everything but the very thing that would give your statements credibility. Anyone that has spent a modicum of their time within the airline industry realizes that rumors run wild 24/7. Also, since I've been fortunate enough to have spent time on Wall Street, I can attest that those so called "experts" thrive on rumor as well, and love *closing the deal* on any given conversation by saying what they'd believed you'd want to hear.

 

[chipmunn]

Time will tell what occurs for all those arm chair quarterbacks and message board posters, who lack the courage to identify them self, but I believe the pilot pension issue can be worked out to ALPA's satisfaction.

Siegel has come to far to let the restructuring fail, but stranger things have happened.

Nonetheless, nobody should underestimate the ALPA or rank-and-file union resolve, to take whatever action is necessary to keep the DB retirement plan in place.

By the way, it has just come to my attention a former "old" Piedmont senior executive believes there will be a settlement reached between the parties to keep the pilot DB plan in place...we'll see.

Chip

 

[DLFlyer31]

[blockquote]
----------------
On 2/20/2003 1:41:41 PM chipmunn wrote:

Slam&click:

I can assure you I talk with the top people at US, the Flight Department, ALPA, Wall Street, and key members of federal government. Aviation is a small world, especially for those of us with different disciplines, such as the military.

Chip
----------------
[/blockquote]

Wow Chip, with all those connections, I wonder why the BOD didn't annoint you the CEO of US. Heck, you've got more connections than Siegel!!! C'mon Chip, with all these connections, you should have this pension problem licked. Why not bring all these influential leaders together and hammer out a solution? Here, I'll get you started with an acronym for it, CHIPS (Chip's Highly Interesting Pension Solution).

As for the pilots, I can't imagine they would be foolish enough to go on strike. I don't blame the pilots for being angry. They have every right to be. I don't blame them for challenging the company in court. It's certainly their right.

However, a strike would solve nothing. It would simply weaken US to a point of liquidation. I know Chip seems to think all the pilots can find great jobs after a strike, but I doubt it. Sure, there's a few that might find other good jobs, but many would be left high and dry. How many of US's pilots (many of whom are 50+) want to start over again at the bottom of the list at Comair,ACA,Airtran,etc?


The only winner's in a US pilots strike would be OAL's and Bronner/RSA. OAL's get US's passengers and Bronner/RSA would recoup their investment through the sale of US's assets. Even in these tough times, there are carriers willing and able to buy DCA/LGA slots.

 

[Zephyr]

[blockquote]
----------------
On 2/20/2003 307 PM chipmunn wrote:

... I believe the pilot pension issue can be worked out to ALPA's satisfaction.
----------------
[/blockquote]

I think all of us realize that the termination of the plan is only to get 51% of the pilots to agree to some sort of compromise. After all of the concessions in scope, wages, grievance relief, etc. etc. etc. etc… no one can imagine that the opportunity to profit so much would be lost over a little pension disagreement.

As you said, “ Siegel has come to[o] far to let the restructuring fail…


[blockquote]
----------------
On 2/20/2003 307 PM chipmunn wrote:

By the way, it has just come to my attention a former "old" Piedmont senior executive believes there will be a settlement reached between the parties to keep the pilot DB plan in place...we'll see.

Chip
----------------
[/blockquote]

Does that mean you read it in a newspaper, or heard it on TV, or something else? Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[Zephyr]

[blockquote]
----------------
On 2/20/2003 1:59:33 PM chipmunn wrote:

Slam&click:

Slam&click said: "I choose to read between the ego, er, lines, thanks."

Chip comments: Slam&click, with all due respect, if you are going to publicly insult somebody, do you have the courage to "honestly" identify yourself? Personally, I doubt you do.

Chip

----------------
[/blockquote]

Slam&click,

You did it! You got Chip to bring out the Big Gun! He has used the Big Gun as an old standby for years, but Whoa… it’s a rare talent that can get Chip to resort to the Big Gun.

Zephyr

 

[LavMan]

Yea Chip, just what the US Military wants, a bunch of 50 year old pilots. I could see one of them 50 year olds going thru basic training. Seems like someone is at the end of their rope grasping for straws.

 

[Zephyr]

[blockquote]
----------------
On 2/20/2003 11:54:52 AM Slam&Click wrote:

Will you kindly name your expert? I may know this person first hand and would gladly check with the source and ask them to grant permission to print his or her name to add credibility to your statement.
----------------
[/blockquote]

There have been well-documented cases of Yahoo message board participants being quoted as “experts.â€￾ And if my expert friends were on Yahoo, I wouldn’t admit it either.

But off course my expert friends are real, and I cannot tell you who they are. But believe you me; they are way bigger than your expert friends.

 

[Zephyr]

[blockquote]
----------------

On 2/20/2003 2:30:46 PM DLFlyer31 wrote:

Here, I'll get you started with an acronym for it, CHIPS (Chip's Highly Interesting Pension Solution).

----------------
[/blockquote]


Thanks for the laugh DLFlyer, you had me rolling.

 

[pit76dr]

MRPlanes:

If you know what ALPA will do you know more than 99% of this pilot group. What will they do?

 

[PITbull]

Error deleted.

 

[diogenes]

[blockquote]
----------------
On 2/20/2003 3:30:35 PM Zephyr wrote:

[blockquote]
----------------

On 2/20/2003 2:30:46 PM DLFlyer31 wrote:

Here, I'll get you started with an acronym for it, CHIPS (Chip's Highly Interesting Pension Solution).

----------------
[/blockquote]


Thanks for the laugh DLFlyer, you had me rolling.
----------------
[/blockquote]
-------------------------------------------

Those who do not grasp the concept of CHIP's will be placed on the B.asic U.nderstanding L.earning L.ist for C.hip's H.ighly I.teresting P.ension s.olution