Judge Approves End of United Pension Plans

[Guest B1900 Mech]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/05/11/...D8A0NA380.shtml This quote from a airline pilot's forum sum's it up,"They won't strike.I can imagine how upset the employees at UAL must be but I don't see strikes coming. I predict that the judge will allow the management to do whatever they want to do and the destruction of the contracts will be next unless the unions agree to go along peacfully and sign concessionary deals. The unions will make a lot of noise and threats but in the end I don't think there will be strikes. As ridiculous as it sounds I think that the courts will rule any strikes illegal because of the Railway labor act even though the RLA was violated by the company by not maintaining status quo until exhausting the process. I believe the courts will rule that the bankruptcy laws supercede the RLA when necessary to protect a corporation and that the RLA still applies to prevent work stoppages to protect the same corporations. The courts are an extension of the government and the government is all about protecting corporations and the people who run them and reducing and/or eliminating the influence of organized labor. Once this ruling is made the unions won't be able to take the risk of supporting a strike for liability reasons. Couple this ruling with an NMB that will no longer release unions from mediation and you have what airline management has always wanted, the effective end of union bargaining power in the airline industry.I also think that, in the end, most of the employees would rather have jobs than no jobs; or at least have jobs while they look for other jobs. Everybody likes to talk tough until they come face to face with the prospect of havng no job, no income, no benefits and having to find another job and start all over. I also think that for many employees, even after all of the pay and benefit cuts, they may find it difficult to find a comparable or better job. This is different than a strike against a profitable corporation where everybody knows a deal will be reached and things will eventually return to normal. UAL is on the brink and a work stoppage could interrupt the cash flow and result in the final ending for the company."

[Guest Xmech]

Yep. This is why I'm glad I ditched the airlines. I saw one CEO after another come through (pre-9/11 even) screwing things up, then when they get 'fired', they get like $250,000,000 (that's $250 million dollars! Just like to see all them zeroes!) to go away. I wish they'd just give me $1 million to get fired. Anyways, I wonder how much pension money got ###### away like that? The terrorists don't have to do a thing to the US. Are they too stupid to see America is imploding from greed? Won't be long until we're another Mexico or Philippenes. A few filthy rich, and the poor masses.BTW, that Cessna flying into DC airspace, ignoring radio calls and not getting the message when buzzed by F-16s dropping flares in front of them (Hmmm, how could someone keep flying staight ahead after THAT) was a decoy. It was to divert media attention from the little speech Bush gave with leaders of 7 Latin American leaders pushing CAFTA. The diversion worked well. Good luck finding info on it.

[Guest B1900 Mech]

I hear ya! I am considering getting out of airline maintenance for good, It's just not worth the lack of pay,working weekends,holidays,nights,out in the crap weather,more paperwork than a doctor,responsible for many lives,did I mention crap pay?