A UAL pilot's point of view....and yes like A-holes everyone has one and some of them stink, but here you go......
1. Expect a lot of "doom and gloom news" from upper management released via press very soon now.
2. UAL is lobbying congress and whitehouse for new goverment "war loan"..and making evrybody feel that is is going to liquidate is all part of the plan.
3. THEN...you, just when you are convinced UAL will not make it....you will see mysteriously and suddenly see mangement talk of a "take it or leave it"contract offer.
4. The offer will be very poor. Expect the talk of an airline within an airline to stop...but payscales will be hit another 9-15%...B fund wiped out/pensions cut in half or worse.
Titlon knows all to well that with fuel prices rapidly dropiing, and uncertaintied associated with IRAQ-War on the decline...that NOW is his best time to rap us up for a long long term contract. Whiteford has very naively played write into his hands by failing to secure independent finnacing of our own. His membership, lacking any real direction or communication from its leaders, is hoplessly scared and divided. Tilton smells blood and is ready to wrap this up....wrap this up for a long long time.
ALPA should now dig in..and attempt to drag this contract out as long as possible...by attepting to secure outside finnancing/petition of the court. Time is now on our side.
The more time that goes by, the better the economy, and the better our negotiating leverage. Expect road shows and "sign or persih" speaches by your amatuer MEC reps.
Do not be in a rush to sign anything. The fun is about to start in earnest...and they will try to convince you the world is comming to an end. Remember, UAL loads and yields are improving..even in war time. They have drastically cut their overhead. And their sheilding of credit claims by the court has left them at a great advantage over AMR/Delta. It should be fairly easy to stall the jeudge and the lenders if we are willing to make them blink first. They will not risk gutting this golden goose now just to get a few more percentage points.
Whatever YOU ratify...it will be for a long long time. This economy is about to rapidly improve and will do so as soon as all the oil fields in IRAQ have their valves opened wide open...and the speculation ends. We must buy time.
1. Expect a lot of "doom and gloom news" from upper management released via press very soon now.
2. UAL is lobbying congress and whitehouse for new goverment "war loan"..and making evrybody feel that is is going to liquidate is all part of the plan.
3. THEN...you, just when you are convinced UAL will not make it....you will see mysteriously and suddenly see mangement talk of a "take it or leave it"contract offer.
4. The offer will be very poor. Expect the talk of an airline within an airline to stop...but payscales will be hit another 9-15%...B fund wiped out/pensions cut in half or worse.
Titlon knows all to well that with fuel prices rapidly dropiing, and uncertaintied associated with IRAQ-War on the decline...that NOW is his best time to rap us up for a long long term contract. Whiteford has very naively played write into his hands by failing to secure independent finnacing of our own. His membership, lacking any real direction or communication from its leaders, is hoplessly scared and divided. Tilton smells blood and is ready to wrap this up....wrap this up for a long long time.
ALPA should now dig in..and attempt to drag this contract out as long as possible...by attepting to secure outside finnancing/petition of the court. Time is now on our side.
The more time that goes by, the better the economy, and the better our negotiating leverage. Expect road shows and "sign or persih" speaches by your amatuer MEC reps.
Do not be in a rush to sign anything. The fun is about to start in earnest...and they will try to convince you the world is comming to an end. Remember, UAL loads and yields are improving..even in war time. They have drastically cut their overhead. And their sheilding of credit claims by the court has left them at a great advantage over AMR/Delta. It should be fairly easy to stall the jeudge and the lenders if we are willing to make them blink first. They will not risk gutting this golden goose now just to get a few more percentage points.
Whatever YOU ratify...it will be for a long long time. This economy is about to rapidly improve and will do so as soon as all the oil fields in IRAQ have their valves opened wide open...and the speculation ends. We must buy time.