Should we boycott Northwest Airlines?!!

[Roxy66]

I think we need to be supporting the Mechanics during their strike of Northwest Airlines. Northwest wants to cut their pay by 20% or 25%. Thats huge!! Northwest just had a press conference praising the fact that they have found other mechanics to take the place of the striking mechanics. We need to support our Unions and their whole purpose of existence. I think we need to step up and start really supporting our workers.

[Deja Q]

1. My union panders to politicians. Does yours?

[Roxy66]

2. Do you have an unfavorable opinion of Unions?

Just wondering. I think there are some bad apples out there that have given Unions a bad name in some peoples eyes, but they are essential for fairness in the workplace.

[leesa]

16. No. Mine has been working hard against the corporate whores.

I'm sorry you have a bad one.

[Roxy66]

3. I really want to know peoples opinions on this...

[Parrothead Terp]

4. This is a tough one for me

I am usually very pro-union, but the words out of the head of the union disturbed me a little bit. He basically said that they would rather see NWA out of business then make any concessions. Well, Unions are there to protect the workers, now is it really protecting workers to let them all lose their jobs? Everyone knows that the airline industry is not doing well for many reasons. After 9/11 there was definitelly an effect on air travel, put that with these new startups that use NON UNION EMPLOYEES that are charging less, and now the high gas prices airlines are in troulbe.

Yes a 20% paycut hurts, and losing 20% of the workforce hurts, but it is better then not working at all.......I would feel differently if I felt the airline was making billions was squeezing it's employees. Also, NWA is willing to pay those layed off for 26 weeks, continue health coverag, and extend their travel benefits past that point.

Our economy needs the airlines, and as a pro-union guy i want to see the airlines that employ union employees survive. If NW or United go, guess what.....everyone is going to turn into Jet Blue. They do their maintenance in Costa Rica for god's sake.

End of rant that prob made no sense.

[Roxy66]

7. IF UNITED GOES?!!! THEY SCREWED MILLIONS OF THEIR EMPLOYEES!!

I will never fly United again. My aunt, who worked for United for nearly 40 years GOT SCREWED!!

[bleedingheart]

10. Then after they cut you again 25% and then again and again

is it still better to have a job?

I say shut the entire country down to show all employers that they have nothing without labor.

[Somawas]

5. I boycott all airlines

and will continue to do so until airports cease to be constitutional suspension zones.

[Parrothead Terp]

6. wait.....

so you are going to punish the tens of thousands of employees who work for these airlines because our damn reactive government can't get its crap together? If it were up to the airlines, they would make everythin much easier, there goal is to make money, and the government and its CAPS, CAPS2, strip searches etc are all hurting the airlines.

[bottomofthehill]

8. Not very good job on either side.

There has never been a union line I would cross. My father told me when I was young that a picket line is the last resort of the working man, he is 67 years old and would still kick my ass if I crossed. Having said that, AMFA is not much of a union in my opinion. They are a bunch of elitist shitheads. Too good for the AFL to good for the other unions in the airline industry. I was not planning on flying Northwest in the near future, not because of the strike but because I had no travel plans to where they service.

I must admit, I would be afraid to fly on an airplane serviced by temp workers. I don't think I want to be at 36000 feet and find out that the mechanic did not know how to service the fuel system.

There were two big problems here, the management sucks elephant dick and the union (AMFA) was too stupid to see that with the fuel prices rising, there was no way to win.

[RC]

9. Why no mention of

http://www.staralliance.com/star_alliance/press_room/executive_biographies/glenn_f.html

Glenn F. Tilton assumed the position as head of United Airlines September 2, 2002. {b]He is the former Vice Chairman of ChevronTexaco Corp. and also held the additional role of interim Chairman of energy merchant Dynegy Inc.

Mr. Tilton joined Texaco Inc. in 1970 and served in various marketing, corporate planning and European downstream assignments of increasing responsibility. In 1989, while serving as President of U.S. Refining and Marketing, he was appointed Vice President of Texaco Inc. He became Chairman of Texaco Ltd in 1991 and President of Texaco Europe the following year. In 1995 he was appointed President of Texaco USA and, later that year, a Senior Vice President of Texaco Inc. In 1997 he became President of Texaco’s Global Business Unit.

Mr. Tilton serves on the Board of Directors of the American Petroleum Institute and Lincoln National Corp., and on the Board and the Executive Committee of the British American Chamber of Commerce.

Copyright © 2003 Star Alliance Corporate Communications


<<<<<<<<AND>>>>>>>
http://news.airwise.com/story/view/1111053350.html

March 17, 2005

Bankrupt United Airlines paid its top executive a bonus of over USD$366,000 last year as the company sought salary and other concessions from union workers, but has cut his pay by 15 percent in 2005.

Documents filed with the government on Wednesday showed that Chief Executive Glenn Tilton's salary plus bonus amounted to more than USD$1.1 million in 2004, even though he accepted a pay cut during the year.

<SNIP>

But Lakefield, a former Wall Street executive, did not take a pay cut when the company slashed wages and benefits for its union workers this year.


<<<<<<AND>>>>>>>

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2002/2002-10-28-ual-ceo-bonus.htm

ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. (AP) — At a time when financially strapped United Airlines is trying to steer clear of filing for bankruptcy, the company paid its new chief executive a $3 million bonus to sign a five-year contract.

The nation's No. 2 carrier also said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing on Friday that it agreed to pay Glenn Tilton $950,000 a year and also raised the possibility that Tilton can receive another $1.9 million in yearly bonuses.

In addition, the airline said it created a trust valued at $4.5 million to replace the retirement plan at Chevron Texaco Corp. that Tilton, who was vice chairman of that company, forfeited when he resigned. Tilton, United's chairman, chief executive and president, was also awarded 100,000 shares of restricted stock and received options to purchase 1.15 million shares with a strike price of $3.03 per share.


<<<<<<AND>>>>>>>>

http://www.thetravelinsider.info/2005/unitedpileofmoney.htm

Where does the $15 billion appear on United's balance sheet

Here is a pdf copy of United's 2004 Annual Report. Can you find any value attributed to their Mileage Plus program?

Let's look first at an analysis of their $20.7 in total assets. This will show on either page 31 or 32 of the pdf.

You can see figures for all sorts of items, but unless the Mileage Plus program is included in the mere $399 million given for intangibles, or the $831 million of 'other', it doesn't seem to exist under United's assets at all.

If you keep reading, you'll come across an even more surprising outcome. On page 25/26, you'll see a discussion about their frequent flier program which says they've entered an $840 million liability to allow for the value of future award redemption.

So it seems United values its Mileage Plus program as being worth a negative $840 million on its balance sheet, even though it could potentially sell the program for as much as $15 billion.

Is it any wonder United is claiming bankruptcy when it values its assets this way?

[bottomofthehill]

13. Force management to the PGBC

And see how it changes their opinion. As I said in a different thread, No more of these BS Retention Bonuses either, any asshole can run a company into the ground, why do we pay them a bonus in the end because no one wants to go to work for the company they wrecked?

[lonestarnot]

11. It is my duty to NEVER CROSS A PICKET LINE!

[bottomofthehill]

12. I am with you

[LaPera]

14. Yes! support UNION workers! Northwest like most companies are blaming

the workers for their predictment...

[lonestarnot]

15. Now doesn't that sound like a bunch of bushitlers. Next blame the war

on the GI's.

[bottomofthehill]

17. Where is the Shrub on this,

I thought that under the Railway Labor Act, the President was supposed to keep strikes from occuring in the railroad and Airline industry

[bottomofthehill]

20. Where is the Presidental Emergency Board

I think when there is a strike at the 4th largest airline, there should be a PEB

[Sgent]

18. When

the Pilots and Flight attendents and service workers and ramp attendents are all crossing the picket line, should we follow their lead?

This is a serious question, as I'm not from a union household. But the letters from the other unions seem to be particularly damning.

[Bluebear]

19. They have no choice.

Their rear ends are in a sling and they have been threatened with termination. Passengers on the other hand have a choice to whom they will give their business during this time. Just sayin'.