....The blinders are not easily removed from the Union-mindset... Still remember those Picketers on NW 36th Street demanding their rights on that January day that EA went out. History teaches a lesson, but only to those that are willing to listen. Bryant Petitt Cumming, GA --- Mark Greenwood <mgreenwood@telus.net> wrote: > If the unions are standing in the way of United's > recovery then the unions > have to go. After the contracts are voided, United > should go to their > employees and say, this is the job, this what we are > prepared to pay you to do > the job, take it or leave it. > > Mark > > Fan of not wanting to see another airline brought > down by it's pigheaded > unions > > Roger & Amanda La France wrote: > > > UAL could move to void union contracts=20 > > (Reuters) =97 UAL Corp., parent of United > Airlines, said Tuesday it > > intends to file a bankruptcy court motion to throw > out its labor > > agreements as early as next week if unions do not > agree to wage cuts.=20 > > > > UAL attorney Jamie Sprayregen told a U.S. > bankruptcy judge Tuesday that > > United plans to continue working with its unions > to achieve wage cuts. > > But without them, he said, the carrier would file > a motion under Section > > 1113 of Chapter 11 of the U.S. bankruptcy code on > Dec. 26.=20 > > > > The filing, Sprayregen said, would be necessary to > ensure the airline > > remains in compliance with the requirements of its > debtor-in-possession > > (DIP) financing agreements.=20 > > > > The airline on Friday said it needs to cut annual > labor costs by $2.4 > > billion in order to satisfy lenders' financing > conditions, and the > > pilots union on Monday said it was ''stunned'' by > the proposal.=20 > > > > United, the No. 2 U.S. airline based in Elk Grove > Township, Illinois, > > filed the largest bankruptcy in aviation history > last week. The > > company's shares closed down 23 cents, or more > than 15 percent, at $1.27 > > on the New York Stock Exchange.=20 > > > > Tilton: UAL needs deep wage cuts=20 > > > > United Chief Executive Glenn Tilton said Tuesday > the bankrupt airline > > needs much deeper wage cuts than had been sought > in a failed bid for > > federal loan guarantees, in order to give it long > term stability and > > compete with low cost airlines.=20 > > > > United stunned its union workers last week by > proposing cuts more than > > double what it had sought just days before filing > the largest ever > > bankruptcy case in aviation history on Dec. 9.=20 > > > > Tilton did not disclose details of the latest wage > cut proposal in a > > letter to employees released Tuesday, but said the > earlier plan for the > > Air Transportation Stabilization Board loan > guarantees would have > > provided only temporary stability.=20 > > > > ``Simply put, the plan submitted to the ATSB was > designed to stabilize > > the company,'' Tilton said. ``However, we knew > there was more to do > > going forward. What we are seeking now is to > transform the company for > > the long term and to make that transformation > sustainable.''=20 > > > > United had asked workers to shoulder $5.2 billion > of cuts over 5-1/2 > > years for the loan guarantees, or about $1 billion > a year. However, > > United's flight attendants union has said the > airline now wants about > > $2.4 billion per year in wage cuts.=20 > > > > The union that represents some 37,500 machinists > has said United now > > wants 13 percent wage cuts, compared with 6 > percent or 7 percent cuts > > under the prior plan. About 80 percent of United's > 83,000 workers are > > represented by unions. Pilots and machinists have > seats on the company's > > board of directors.=20 > > > > The airline needs immediate cuts to satisfy > lenders who provided > > financing to help sustain United during the > restructuring, Tilton said.=20 > > > > Tilton also said United must broaden its service > to become attractive to > > more potential passengers and make significant > cost cuts so direct > > competition with low fare airlines will still be > profitable.=20 > > > > ``We must take on the competitive threat of low > cost carriers that are > > attacking a large percent of United's route > structure in the United > > States,'' Tilton said. ``They are growing, we are > not and the market is > > not, that means their growth is coming from us. > Their growth comes from > > us because they can make a profit on a fare that > we can't."=20 __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com