whymeworry? said:TheSulaco,
You're an idiot. You obviously have no idea what it means to be airline pilot and if you are indeed at the regionals you will survive at the majors with your attitude. What DAL pilots are doing is more than saving their profession and their jobs, they are fighting an evil undercurrent in this country where only CEOs, Politicians and Lawyers call the shots and the rest of us peasants have to take it. The pilots are offering $150 mil on top of the $1 bil they already gave last year and the company refuses to budge? How is that negotiating? The company's own logic says that DAL must have $150 mil in paycuts from the pilots (300 the company is asking for minus the 150 the pilots have offered) or it will liquidate. Come on, that's moronic. A company that large ain't gonna' fail because of $150 million. Labor (and I don't mean just organized labor) is being assulted in this country while the elite steal millions from corporations, customers and employees... all while the press and politicians look the other way. DAL and AQ are thus far the only two labor groups in the country to finally start the revolt against the robber baronso fht enew millenium (mgmt). And you say you won't support them? You're either misinformed, stupid or have lofty ambitions to become an airline executive. Regardless of your cowardly comments, the DAL pilots don't need your support! They don't even need my support. They merely need the support of each other. That, genius-boy, is called UNITY. Something you obviously know nothing about.
And guess what, DAL pilots already lost their pension payments. Which is why 2500 pilots took an early retirement, took their lump sum and hoped the company will continue to pay their pension. Well, that was lost last month but they still got their lump when they all bailed this past year. So while we all feel they should get their pension payments, at least they cashed out their lump... and since so many cashed out at once there wasn't enough money left to go on paying everyone, it's a vicious cycle which was precipitated by DAL mgmt not funding the pension over the years. Why was it not funded? Because mgmt thought it was more important to make themselves look good by increasing earnings. How did they increase earnings? Artificially. You see, they bought back $2.4 billion of stock thereby reducing the amount of ouotstanding shares. When earnings came out during the good times, those earning were then divided by less shares, hence the increase in earnings. That's called cheating. Earnings never actually went up, management used $2.4 billion to buy the earnings increase by reducing the dilluted shares of stock. Mgmt should have been paying down debt including funding the obligitory pension. Those guys ought to go to jail fo rsuch wercklessness. They have ruined lives. But you know what? It was all legal because SEC and the congress say so. And the press is too ignorant to figure this out. Meanwhile DAL pilots have to be told to take even more of a hit so mgmt can survive yet another day just so they can to the same thing again (cook the books).
Pathetic!!
NW pilots, take note of DAL's actions! Step up to the plate and fight for the profession.
Not so fast name caller. The retired Delta pilots lost their un-defined retirement last month. The defined benefit is still being paid but yes it is in jepordy and will possibly go away during the first quarter of 06. For some pilots, the defined benefit is substantial and if it is lost will probably wipe them out.