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President Letter: Feb 2, 2004
MEC President Letter
Motion Filed to Investigate United Airlines
February 2, 2004
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Late this afternoon, our legal counsel filed a motion with the bankruptcy court seeking an appointment of an examiner to investigate United Airlines' scheme to intentionally mislead thousands of Flight Attendants into ending their careers and retiring early, defrauding them out of their retirement benefits.
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Motion>> (.pdf) 59 KB -- 18 Pages
We also announced during a press conference at Chicago's O'Hare Airport that we are undertaking a coordinated campaign to stop United Airlines from violating our Collective Bargaining Agreement. The campaign will include legal action, lobbying, advertising and informing our passengers of United's actions to slash retiree medical benefits. We intend to make sure that everyone knows that United has “cheaTED” thousands of workers out of retirement benefits earned after sacrifices and decades of dedicated service to our Company.
We will be lobbying on Capitol Hill, we'll be talking to passengers, advertising in newspapers, on billboards and buses, we will be reminding United management of their actions at their public events and we will be leafleting and picketing at airports in cities around the world. This afternoon we turned out in force for passenger leafleting, picketing and media events at ten Local Councils across the country, including: Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, DC. Management must be held accountable for the decisions that jeopardize the successful reorganization of our airline.
Remember, the crux of the issue centers on the fact that United management signed a Letter of Agreement in May 2003 to ensure that Flight Attendants retiring before July 1, 2003 would have access to health care benefits that were less costly and more comprehensive than those after that date. Based on that agreement, more than 2,500 Flight Attendants retired before the July 1 deadline, only to find out just six months later that United intends to double-cross them by cutting their benefits and raising their costs. Contract violations and double-cross tactics show that there is nothing new at United. Labor management relations are back to historical lows and the promise of a new United is gone.
Later this week we will be meeting with members of Congress to inform legislators about United management's duplicitous attempt to hide behind the bankruptcy court to renege on their promise to Flight Attendants.
Under United's plan, retirees will have to pay up to $650 per month (2003 rates) for less health care -- more than 10 times what they pay now for more comprehensive current health benefits – and there is no cap on contributions as health care costs climb each year. For retirees on incomes that average about $1,200 a month, these cuts will be devastating.
Visit our website www.unitedafa.org to read the hundreds of personal stories retirees have submitted about the effects the benefit changes will have on their lives. Thank you for your continued support in defending our Contract. To date we have received thousands of these personal stories, and along with your letters opposing these changes, we are making a powerful statement against management's scheme to violate our Contract. Continue to encourage your flying partners to add their heartfelt thoughts to this massive stack of letters scheduled for a Valentines delivery to World Headquarters.
Stay informed and involved, your efforts are critical in protecting our rights. We have worked too hard and sacrificed too much to allow senior management to make the same type of mistakes that once jeopardized United Airlines.
Our Solidarity Will Lead Us To Our Future Success.
In Solidarity,
Greg Davidowitch, President
United Master Executive Council