Perspective

ohcaptainron

Member
Sep 12, 2002
98
1
As you are all aware by now, management has seen “fit†to distribute $250 Million of your hard-earned wages and givebacks to shareholders in the form of a dividend in order to boost the price of their stock in the short term. As Captain Mark Bathurst pointed out in his December 7th letter: “Over the past several months, every stakeholder of the Company has raised serious concerns about this course of action: United’s unions have questioned the fairness of rewarding shareholders without recognizing the employee sacrifices that enabled United to survive; United’s lenders have publicly questioned whether a dividend is fiscally prudent at a time of spiking fuel prices and a softening economy; and the Company’s largest shareholders have stated that other long-term actions would create far more shareholder value than a modest dividend.â€

When management was first considering this misguided action, the Union coalition issued a press statement which said in part: “While searching for ways to pay down…debt and implementing an additional $500 million in ‘shareholder initiatives,’ United’s management has once again turned a blind eye toward its employees, the very people who saved this airline from extinction.â€

United’s response: ""All our stakeholders were impacted during our restructuring, including our shareholders who were wiped out. Our shareholders today expect a return on their investment. Our employees benefited from $2 billion in equity and notes at exit, and they share in our success when we are profitable.

Every time we pay down debt, reduce our costs and improve profitability it is a direct benefit to employees who receive 15 percent of our profits, more than $100 million so far this year. To suggest that we should increase our costs in an environment of $90 [per barrel of oil] fuel is ludicrous."


LUDICROUS?!? HOW DARE THEY! That’s a MANAGEMENT SMACK DOWN!


Management actually believes we “benefited†from the issuance of stock and notes at exit. Really? Maybe they should consider this:



Our “Equity benefit†was attained by reducing our collective wages by approximately $1.2B PER YEAR for over SIX YEARS.



The “Notes benefit†was attained by eliminating our collectively bargained defined benefit pension plan (A-Plan) (which was under funded by the company—not the pilots), saving this company approximately $200M PER YEAR…FOREVER. It had the further “benefit†of destroying the retirement security of all United pilots, both past and present, in the process.



“The shareholders were wiped outâ€, you betcha, including the 8,500 pilots who saw their ESOP shares devalue to nothing. The ESOP shares and work rule changes cost the United pilots approximately $5.9B dollars over the life of the 1994 contract.



Oh, and as far $90 oil goes, tough. Glenn, we’re not paying for the passenger’s tickets anymore. United’s fuel costs are not borne in a vacuum; your competitors shoulder the same burden. Come to think of it, your competitors are burdened with labor costs higher than United’s, and they seem able to earn greater profits and higher margins regardless of the price of oil. You speak of “market rates†Glenn? Here’s a newsflash for you: United’s pilots are well below the existing market rates, even when compared to carriers that went through their own restructurings! What’s that say about your management of this Corporation, Glenn?
 
Too Bad, So Sad……. :p

Maybe if you idiots didn’t force the EFLOP, then we would not be in this predicament.
Maybe if you didn’t cross picket lines, other Unionized employees would not cross yours.
Maybe if you were not an advocate of 3rd party maintenance, someone would give a crap about your situation.

Guess what, you all reap what you sow and as the ‘Globalization’ plan kicks in, you will be replaced as well.

I will not take joy in this as I have been preaching solidarity from the beginning, but assuredly, it will not affect my plans either way.

Take Care and Good Fortune to you and yours.

Regards,
B) UT

PS:
Merry Christmas :up:
 
Too Bad, So Sad……. :p

Maybe if you idiots didn’t force the EFLOP, then we would not be in this predicament.
Maybe if you didn’t cross picket lines, other Unionized employees would not cross yours.
Maybe if you were not an advocate of 3rd party maintenance, someone would give a crap about your situation.

Guess what, you all reap what you sow and as the ‘Globalization’ plan kicks in, you will be replaced as well.

I will not take joy in this as I have been preaching solidarity from the beginning, but assuredly, it will not affect my plans either way.

Take Care and Good Fortune to you and yours.

Regards,
B) UT

PS:
Merry Christmas :up:

A bit rough on the guy but I have to agree.

Whats the difference if a pilot is based the USA and stays in a foreign hotel or is based overseas and stays in a US hotel? It wouldnt be that hard to have foreign based crews flying most of the long haul, large airaft-the ones that pay the big bucks.

The Pilots union has been too cooperative with management when it comes to screwing over other workers. Most of these workers have already seen their wages decline to a level where they cant go any lower and get people to show up or replace those who leave. The fact is that pilts could be, and are, had at $30k a year.Look at all the regionals, they pay nothing-ALPA agreed to that, and they have more applicants than they need.

Piloting aircraft is as much of a hobby as it is a career. I'm not trying to insult pilots-they are very skilled, but the fact is that many, if not most of the pilot certificates issued are not for professional use. People fly airplanes as a means of enjoyment, there really is no reason why an airline would have to pay someone $200k for doing the same thing they pay others only $30k to do. Just because the plane is bigger it doesnt mean that flying it is harder. While ALPA has done a good job at maintaining standards they have made themselves vulnerable in other ways. They dropped the ball at the regionals and have isolated themselves from other workers.

The deep divisions between major airline and regional pilots makes pilot unions vulnerable for busting. How many ALPA regional pilots would be willing to cross an ALPA picket line at a major if there was a left seat and a chance to double their pay? My guess is a lot. They could cover the domestics while foreign nationals covers the Internationals.
 
Too Bad, So Sad……. :p

Maybe if you idiots didn’t force the EFLOP, then we would not be in this predicament.
Maybe if you didn’t cross picket lines, other Unionized employees would not cross yours.
Maybe if you were not an advocate of 3rd party maintenance, someone would give a crap about your situation.

Guess what, you all reap what you sow and as the ‘Globalization’ plan kicks in, you will be replaced as well.

I will not take joy in this as I have been preaching solidarity from the beginning, but assuredly, it will not affect my plans either way.

Take Care and Good Fortune to you and yours.

Regards,
B) UT

PS:
Merry Christmas :up:
[/quote



Ditto...for every AIRLINE in America!
 
Oh, come on. Is ANYONE surprised by this? If you've learned anything about Tilton since he's been running the show, it's that there is no limit to how low he and his merry band of incompetent executives will stoop in running the airline into the ground. They've already enriched themselves off the backs of the front-line employees with their over-the-top bonus packages upon bankruptcy exit. Now we see them bending over the rank and file yet again to reward shareholders. Oh, but fear not UA employees. I'm sure another $50 Success Sharing check is on its way to you soon!!!! :rolleyes:

With every decision Tilton makes, he proves more and more how completely out of touch he is with the very company he's running. He's a typical Corporate American executive used to the silver spoon shoved deeply in his mouth. All he cares about is: 1) richly rewarding himself above all others, then 2) rewarding the shareholders to keep them happy. People like him could care less about the workers. He'll continue to pay lip service to the "good work" you all continue to do. But that's about it. It's class warfare. And now that he's isolated himself in his new digs on Wacker Drive, he will no longer have to face you all when he's lining up to buy his chicken salad sandwich at The Bistro!!! Because let's face it, a supreme executive of his stature should not have to rub shoulders with common people! It's beneath him. He is the second coming of Stephen Wolf!!!! It's ironic that the best thing UA employees could hope for is a merger. Because, while it would certainly be painful for the employees, it's about the only thing that would run off this ridiculously embarassing excuse for a management team.
 
Tilton is doing what he is directed to do (maybe with some 'self guidance/advice' :D ) .
We still have three members on the BOD that are also sucking up cash for doing nothing.
ALPO, IAM and Management (Insert increadble laugh here :p ) have representatives on the BOD.
What are they doing?

B) UT