TWA settlement

[HowardBorden]

I can't be bothered to look it up, but what was your prediction on the TWA lawsuit outcome?

Since you skipped right over the question, I bothered to look it up. These are your words about the TWA lawsuit.

No reason to get upset, Rez. These idiots aren't going to cost you a dime, because their lawsuit is completely without merit. They'll waste incredible amounts of their own money on legal fees, and then they'll be left with nothing to show for it. Just like the RJDC wankers.

Anytime is a bad time to file a frivelous suit.

Don't let reality get in the way of a bad lawsuit.

 

[PCL_128]

Howie, although not completely right with my prediction, I was pretty close. They wasted ungodly amounts of money, and after legal fees and administrative costs, they're left with very little to show for a dozen years of fighting.

 

[CFIT]

And no one offers up 58 million dollars, calling it "pocket change", unless they knew they could be implicated for something larger.

This clearly illustrates ALPA's guilt, and they got off easy, 58 million dollars easy.

Moak's having a big juicy steak tonight! He earned it!

 

[Mk3tm]

Howie, although not completely right with my prediction, I was pretty close. They wasted ungodly amounts of money, and after legal fees and administrative costs, they're left with very little to show for a dozen years of fighting.

"pretty close" and "not completely right"...holy smokes.

I remember way back in '08 or so, prolly before ALPA came in, when one of the former TWA guys posted a link on the AT forum to a legal brief in the TWA case. It spelled out why ALPA was getting sued.

Our resident ALPA expert and eventual EVP declared the lawsuit had zero chance of success, dismissed the attorney as a "hack", and declared ALPA obviously faultless.

Well, the jury unanimously disagreed. I'd say the "hack" attorney was pretty close and almost completely right.

 

[TWA Dude]

Seriously, guys, PCL isn't worth arguing with. Clearly, a suit that lasts twelve years, had a trial, and settled for the maximum the defendant's insurance would pay can't be called a nuisance suit. Had ALPA wanted they could've strung the suit out for several more years with an appeal.

break

I am very curious about the AirTran pilots' dfr suit against ALPA. What exactly are the allegations?

 

[FDJ2]

And no one offers up 58 million dollars, calling it "pocket change", unless they knew they could be implicated for something larger.

This clearly illustrates ALPA's guilt, and they got off easy, 58 million dollars easy.

And no one settles for pennies on the dollar if they think they have a winning hand. The TWA plaintiffs threw in the towel for pennies on the dollar, giving up over a BILLION dollars in claimed damages for a small fraction of what they were seeking.

This clearly illustrates that they had little confidence in their lawsuit.

Perhaps they didn't want to see the same result as the Spellacy pilots, who won a jury verdict, but then had their entire claim thrown out on appeal as a matter of law.

 

[SWA Bubba]

And no one settles for pennies on the dollar if they think they have a winning hand. The TWA plaintiffs threw in the towel for pennies on the dollar, giving up over a BILLION dollars in claimed damages for a small fraction of what they were seeking.

This clearly illustrates that they had little confidence in their lawsuit.

Perhaps they didn't want to see the same result as the Spellacy pilots, who won a jury verdict, but then had their entire claim thrown out on appeal as a matter of law.

Don't know all the particulars, but it seems just as likely, if not more so, that rather than having "little confidence in their lawsuit," the TWA plaintiffs had little confidence that they'd still be alive to see any money. After all, as PCL points out, ALPA has lawyers out the wazoo, and can stall and stall and stall (by filing appeal after motion after appeal after motion), essentially as long as they're willing to pay their lawyers. They could put off paying anything for untold more years (12 and counting so far). Probably not so for a bunch of pilots who are paying out of pocket for representation.

This is a tried-and-true tactic for a big corporation to avoid serious liability against small litigants who may have big cases: stall as long as it takes, and eventually get to pay a much smaller amount, plus avoid admitting their wrongdoing. It seems like ALPA may have simply outwaited them.

Bubba

 

[PCL_128]

And no one settles for pennies on the dollar if they think they have a winning hand. The TWA plaintiffs threw in the towel for pennies on the dollar, giving up over a BILLION dollars in claimed damages for a small fraction of what they were seeking.

This clearly illustrates that they had little confidence in their lawsuit.

Perhaps they didn't want to see the same result as the Spellacy pilots, who won a jury verdict, but then had their entire claim thrown out on appeal as a matter of law.

Exactly.

 

[SWA Bubba]

Exactly.

Or, what I said.

Bubba

 

[MCDU]

Howie, although not completely right with my prediction, I was pretty close. They wasted ungodly amounts of money, and after legal fees and administrative costs, they're left with very little to show for a dozen years of fighting.

You talking about the America West pilots and their DFR cases that got tossed twice?

M

 

[PCL_128]

Or, what I said.

Bubba

Not really. You're forgetting that in order to get to the appeals phase, you have to put up the jury's judgment as bond with the court. If the jury award is $500 million, you've got to come up with that amount of money to post with the court to even file the appeal. It's not as easy as you think it is.

 

[macdu]

Just tell me when I can expect my check.

 

[redflyer65]

Hate to tell you MACDU, but usually the only thing that ALPA sends out are bills. Some fabricated 'the company didn't deduct enough' bullsh!t.

Funny, the money flows one way with ALPA, never the other way. Maybe it's those $3,000 dinners that need to get paid for. Or maybe it's the 'frivolous' lawsuits that need to be settled. Then they turn around and talk about how you won't get a special dues assessment for their screw up.

Or when they decided they needed their 2% out of your 401k money as well as the rest.

Great organization, isn't it.

The brown suit is just icing on the cake.

 

[ironspud]

Hate to tell you MACDU, but usually the only thing that ALPA sends out are bills. Some fabricated 'the company didn't deduct enough' bullsh!t.

Funny, the money flows one way with ALPA, never the other way. Maybe it's those $3,000 dinners that need to get paid for. Or maybe it's the 'frivolous' lawsuits that need to be settled. Then they turn around and talk about how you won't get a special dues assessment for their screw up.

Or when they decided they needed their 2% out of your 401k money as well as the rest.

Great organization, isn't it.

The brown suit is just icing on the cake.

ALPA is pretty much finished. One of the TWA principles in the fight summed it pretty well today when he said:

"One fact is certain: ALPA is broke; squandered in obscene payrolls and perks. The only real money they have will go to the payout to us".

 

[Turtle21]

ALPA is pretty much finished. One of the TWA principles in the fight summed it pretty well today when he said:

"One fact is certain: ALPA is broke; squandered in obscene payrolls and perks. The only real money they have will go to the payout to us".

ALPA can't risk collecting an assessment to cover the TWA lawsuit.. Not with Delta so close to a representational election. IMHO.