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19 Members of the Senate Issue Letter to Glenn Tilton
February 24, 2004
19 Members of the Senate wrote a strongly-worded letter to United Airlines CEO Glenn Tilton, urging him to reconsider "harsh reductions in benefits". Full letter>>
109 Members of the House of Representatives Issue Letter to Glenn Tilton
February 13, 2004
108 members of the House of Representatives wrote a strongly-worded letter to United Airlines CEO Glenn Tilton, urging him to "immediately abandon" efforts to reduce the retiree benefits that were promised to flight attendants who retired by the July 1, 2003 deadline. Full letter>>
AFA Publishes Newspaper Ad
February 4, 2004
As part of the cheaTED campaign in Washington, AFA ran an ad in the Capitol newspaper, "Roll Call" educating members of Congress about United's double-crossing of retirees and profiling the plight of United Flight Attendant retiree Eileen Bugbee.
Download Advertisement>> (.pdf) 440 KB
Send A Letter to Your Representative!
Retirees: Use the sample letter below as a guideline for your own, hand-written letter to your Governor, Mayor, State Legislator, Congressman or Senator.
Sample Letter for Local Legislators
(Date)
Dear Mayor/Governor/etc
On January 14, 2004 United Airlines management announced their intention to seek substantial changes to the Contractual medical benefits for retired United Flight Attendants. Last May 2003, United Flight Attendants approved a concessionary Contract worth $314 million in cost savings annually, including significant cost increases to medical benefits for Flight Attendants who would retire after July 1, 2003 , while keeping in place affordable medical benefits for those who retired before that date.
(Insert if retirement date is January 1, 2003 – June 30, 2003 )
I am a Flight Attendant who saved the company millions of dollars by making the decision to retire earlier than expected and before July 1, 2003 , believing that my medical benefits were protected.
Briefly tell your story—how will these changes affect you?… For example: if my medical benefits are modified, to any extent, I may have to (sell my home) (move) or (worse -- give up my health insurance coverage).
United Airlines is gaining strength and getting stronger thanks to the over two and a half billion dollars in sacrifices from its employees and the 2500 Flight Attendants who retired early and saved this company millions in capped pension liability and the ability to pay lower wages to more junior Flight Attendants. Changing Flight Attendant retiree benefits is not needed for United Airlines' emergence from bankruptcy and its continued success. It is obvious that United Airlines senior management is taking this action simply because they can within the context of the bankruptcy court. The public should also be concerned with this irresponsible action, which will likely place the liability of these health care costs on the state.
I am urging you to contact Glenn Tilton, CEO United Airlines, 1200 E. Algonquin Road , Elk Grove Township , IL 60007 and ask him to abandon this ill-conceived plan before it hurts thousands of long-time employees.
I hope that I can count on your support. Thank you for your consideration of this urgent matter and I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
YOUR ADDRESS