I agree Walter I am Supprised that UAL has not started to auction off thier international routes to the highest bidder like EA,PA and TWA did...Dan...PHL --- W Wilson <wlw-jr@att.net> wrote: > The next step to the beginning of the end of UAL? > > Walter > DCA > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "W Wilson" <wlw-jr@att.net> > To: <AIRLINE@LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU> > > > > By John Crawley > > > > WASHINGTON, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Mechanics at United > Airlines (UAL) could > vote > > on Tuesday to reject a contract offer based on > recommendations of a > > presidential emergency board and, if so, would > later vote to strike, their > > union's president said. > > > > "My sentiment tells me they will reject it," Tom > Buffenbarger told > reporters > > on Monday, referring to the 15,000 mechanics and > related workers who will > > vote on the plan that would give them pay raises > of up to 37 percent. > > > > The mechanics have not had a raise since 1994. > > > > Buffenbarger said the vote could be extremely > close. But he was clear > about > > what would happen if the company's proposal > failed. > > > > "If they reject the contract, they will vote to > strike," Buffenbarger > said. > > The earliest a strike could occur would be on Feb. > 20. > > > > > > The airline would not predict how the mechanics > would vote. > > > > "We're not going to jump ahead of ourselves. We're > going to see what > happens > > tomorrow," United spokeswoman Susana Leyva said. > > > > Buffenbarger also said there would "be hell to > pay" if Congress intervened > > in the labor organization's dispute with United by > extending the deadline > > for a settlement or imposing contract terms. > > > > "That is not a threat. That's a promise," > Buffenbarger told a news > > conference. > > > > He was not specific about what action the > International Association of > > Machinists would take, but suggested it would work > to rule if terms were > > imposed. > > > > Congress has never acted on an airline contract > dispute, and Buffenbarger > > said he thought lawmakers would not interfere this > time if asked to do so > by > > the White House. > > > > A presidential emergency board recommended last > month that the No. 2 > > carrier, a unit of UAL Corp. (UAL), boost pay for > the mechanics to bring > > into line with other industry leaders. That would > be roughly $35.14 per > hour > > for the most-senior mechanics, up from $25.60. > > > > But the true value of the increase would be > delayed if the financially > > struggling airline sought wage concessions across > the board to reduce > costs. > > > > United posted a staggering net loss of $2.1 > billion in the fourth quarter > of > > 2001 as it struggled with declining traffic due to > the Sept. 11 attacks > and > > the recession. > > > > Other airlines also have posted huge losses, but > there have been signs of > > recovery recently with the gradual return of > business and savings from > deep > > cost cutting in recent months. > > > > The union is unhappy with an emergency board > recommendation to defer > > retroactive pay for mechanics and with proposals > on retirement benefits. > The > > machinists also say the plan contains no job > security provisions and they > > reject the proposal's blueprint for wage > concessions. > > > > Buffenbarger signaled the union was willing to do > its part in any giveback > > plan to save the airline from potential > bankruptcy, but vigorously > rejected > > the government writing that formula into its > contract recommendation. > > > > The airline's contract proposal could be approved > with a simple majority > of > > "yes" votes nationwide. A strike would need > two-thirds support, and > > Buffenbarger said it would pass easily. > > > > President George W. Bush appointed the emergency > board in December to > > resolve the contract dispute at United. Before > then, the union had voted > > overwhelmingly to strike. But the White House > intervention delayed any > > walkout for 60 days. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send FREE Valentine eCards with Yahoo! Greetings! http://greetings.yahoo.com