United Airlines Chief Pledges To Communicate Bette

[blueskies4ever]

Aug 24, 2004

United Airlines Chief Pledges to Communicate Better With Workers
By Melanie Coffee
Associated Press Writer

CHICAGO (AP) - United Airlines CEO Glenn Tilton is pledging better communications with workers, following a judge's order last week that gave the company 30 days to show it can cooperate with its unions on a restructuring plan.
"Going forward, I have committed to increasing and improving interactions with our stakeholders in any way that is productive, including our individual meetings with all of our union representatives," Tilton said Tuesday in a taped telephone message to employees.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Eugene Wedoff on Friday rejected union requests to open up the process to rival proposals immediately because they say United has not tried hard enough to preserve employee pensions.

Elk Grove Village-based United now has until Sept. 30 before losing exclusivity that allows only the company to file a reorganization plan without risk of a rival plan submitted by outside investors. Wedoff said he won't grant another extension unless the airline shows it is cooperating with unions and other stakeholders.

Saying that United was at a critical crossroad, Tilton said there will be "complete transparency" about United's financial situation and he encouraged employees to get involved in the restructuring process.

"We need the full, honest and constructive participation of all stakeholders. In fact, we want their input and we need their ideas," he said.

United parent UAL Corp. has operated under bankruptcy protection since December 2002.

Attorneys for United's unions had previously argued that United should lose its exclusivity because it moved too fast to stop its pension payments.

In July, United deferred a required quarterly pension fund payment of $72 million, saying it did not plan any more payments while in bankruptcy. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers and the Association of Flight Attendants filed objections to United's financing plan and its decision to stop pension fund payments.

United attorneys assured Wedoff on Friday that the deal allows the company to make payments to the plans if the money is available.

IAM spokesman Joseph Tiberi said Tuesday night that the union has been wanting to work with company officials to help solve United's financial troubles.

"We've been left out of the process in the past, but hopefully going forward the lines of communication can be more open," he said.

Its way to late for that.If UAL management said the sky was blue I say they
were lying.Trust no one can ever trust them.

 

[boeing787]

It's about time. But I think Tilton will make the difference and this company will survive.

 

[Dizel8]

"United Airlines CEO Glenn Tilton is pledging better communications with workers, following a judge's order last week that gave the company 30 days to show it can cooperate with its unions on a restructuring plan."

It is nice that he now wants to talk, since the judge told him he was losing patience and demanded he start talking to the employees!

 

[mrfish3726]

Yeah, hear comes the "We need you to take another pay cut campaign." That’s the only
involvement UAL management will want from the employee groups. Weidoff will see
this and finally let the BK process to move forward with out side plans being filed.
Or as some have said, UAL is worth more in liquidation than it is as an operating entity.

If congress takes action on UAL fulfilling their pension obligations, no outside investor
will touch UAL and help it out of BK. It sad for the folks at UAL who have endured so
much to see it slowly dwindle away day after day. But after two years, even Weidoff
is tired of UAL management’s inability to truly show that they have a plan to make UniTED
a survivor.

 

[Fly]

It would be sad to see United go away (but something tells me you'd throw a party). Friends must not be a strong point of yours. Such a dilemma you will need to face....should you invite your ole buddies from United to join you at your celebration. Pathetic! You need a hobby dude.

 

[mrfish3726]

Fly,

How sad you are to think I have no compassion for folks at UAL. Hell I saw furloughed employees throw party after party when they got the boot from UAL. And so you know, I was in the loop to hire several new maintenance personnel at our LCC here this week and one was an ex lead of mine at UAL. I gave him kudos and expressed that he would be perfect to the future growth of our operations. So don't think that I have any animosity to fellow employees, only the management that treated everyone like S&!T. And they are the ones that are ultimately going to put you on the street, not ME!

 

[The Ronin]

Yeah, hear comes the "We need you to take another pay cut campaign." That’s the only
involvement UAL management will want from the employee groups. Weidoff will see
this and finally let the BK process to move forward with out side plans being filed.
Or as some have said, UAL is worth more in liquidation than it is as an operating entity.

If congress takes action on UAL fulfilling their pension obligations, no outside investor
will touch UAL and help it out of BK. It sad for the folks at UAL who have endured so
much to see it slowly dwindle away day after day. But after two years, even Weidoff
is tired of UAL management’s inability to truly show that they have a plan to make UniTED
a survivor.

[post="174366"][/post]​

Alright...even I have had enough Fish. Your bent...sorry, but that is the way it is. You cant see through those blurry eyes. I have no love for UAL, no love for IAM, ALPA or really anything else, but YOU need to get a grip. Ya, things are F*cked up, ya the numbers are going to have to change and More people are gonna get screwed BUT, I read 10k filings too. We are STILL moving over 225,000 people a day on 1800 flights. We STILL have financing CASH FLOW....WE ARE NOT DWINDLING BY ANY STANDARD. Yields are weak and costs are still high, Uncle Sam wants our ass like everyone else, including you know who. I looked at YOUR numbers and I'd say someone else has a little more to worry about than us. Your balance sheet AINT GOOD, your growth prospects and investment capitol is currently almost nil (mostly due simply to the industry ills and the economy). Not to many people want to put money into ANY airline whether LCC or legacy. Will this whole thing roll over, heck if I know. Will I be here....with all the managers leaving for OSV's over the last month, looks like maintenance is all but through. But this AIRLINE is flying it's ass off...EVERYDAY. I think we have MORE overnighters than you have in your entire fleet. So shut up and play it like a poker hand. If your right...all you need to do is smile...and take the pot

 

[mrfish3726]

6000 more furloughs at UAL, I'll still be here Ronin. Everyone is watching the death of UAL, it will certainly change the scope of the whole airline industry.

 

[Fly]

How many days did you cry after you got furloughed? Your gloating is pathetic. FYI - United has NOT announced any furloughs, so maybe you should get your hands outta da pants until they do...k?





_________________________________________________________

"The big elephant sitting in the corner is that George W. Bush is simply unqualified for the job... What's his accomplishment? That he's no longer an obnoxious drunk?" - Ron Reagan Jr.

 

[blueskies4ever]

Unions want UAL executives ousted
Flight attendants join machinists, condemn top managers
By Matt Andrejczak, CBS.MarketWatch.com
Last Update: 7:08 PM ET Aug. 31, 2004


SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) - Management at UAL Corp. lost the support of one of its biggest unions Tuesday, as flight attendants joined mechanics in condemning the performance of top officers at the world's second-largest airline.



UAL's flight attendants, angered by the company's decision to suspend pension payments and failure to devise a successful plan to exit from bankruptcy, called for new management after its 21,000-strong organization unanimously passed a "no confidence" resolution.

"We condemn United Airlines senior management for devising a business plan which, in addition to termination of pension plans, continues the failed strategy of seeking further concessions from employees who have already sacrificed so much," said union head Greg Davidowitch.

The union said its plan to take the "appropriate legal steps" to oust management, but declined to elaborate.

UAL's mechanics union, which has 27,000 active workers, filed a motion in bankruptcy court Aug. 11 asking the judge to appoint an independent trustee to steer the airline through the remainder of its bankruptcy. Observers have said it is unlikely the judge will approve the motion.

It is believed the flight attendants will add themselves to the mechanics court motion.

UAL (UALAQ: news, chart, profile), based in Elk Grove Township, Ill., filed for bankruptcy in December 2002. To cut costs and attract new financing, the company has skipped payments on its four pension plans. The airline has yet to file its reorganization plan with the court, repeatedly asking for extensions.

The company said the flight attendants resolution is counter-productive.

"We believe that all of us who are interested in United's future need to work together constructively to get the company in the best possible shape to compete for the long term," UAL spokesman Jeff Green said. "And, in fact, our bankruptcy judge reminded us of that recently."


Matt Andrejczak is a reporter for CBS.MarketWatch.com in San Francisco.

 

[mrfish3726]

FLY,

Remember what you said "I am not a very good spoke person for UAL" and it shows. I will be here EVERYDAY watching the demise of UAL like all others in the industry. It's hard to face, but as you also said something about "not needing the job anyway." So whats your point? Even though I left UniTED on my own accord, I am still interested in seeing just how much more UniTED management can screw things up. They always amuzed me when I was there. and they still DOOOOOOOOOOOOO!