Wednesday March 22, 7:14 pm ET Head of Pilots Union at Delta Air Lines Affirms Promise to Strike if Pay Cuts Are Imposed
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The head of the pilots union at embattled Delta Air Lines Inc. affirmed Wednesday the union's promise to strike if pay cuts are imposed on the 6,000 pilots while urging the two sides to reach agreement. Lee Moak, chairman of the union's executive committee at Delta, made the statements at the end of the eighth day of hearings before an arbitration panel. The panel must decide by April 15 whether Delta, which is operating under bankruptcy protection, can void its contract with the pilots and impose up to $325 million in long-term pay and benefit reductions.
Delta's chief executive said this week that a strike by the pilots would spell the demise of the nation's third-largest airline. Company and union representatives have not had any negotiating sessions since the hearings began, though both sides say they are willing to meet.
Moak, speaking as a witness at the hearing, said "I won't blink" if the pilots deemed a strike to be warranted.
"We should be working together. We shouldn't be fighting over a couple hundred million dollars," he said.
Delta spokesman Bruce Hicks said after the hearing, "This isn't about our deep appreciation of our pilots. It's about getting all of our costs to market levels, including our pilots', in order to successfully restructure and preserve nearly 50,000 jobs, including 6,000 pilots' jobs."
Meanwhile, picketing by Delta pilots continued Wednesday at airports in Los Angeles and outside Cincinnati. The pilots also have bought space on large billboards on a road near the airline's headquarters in Atlanta. One says: "Gone with the wind? Delta has not funded employee pensions since July 2005." Another says: "Airline managements come and go. It's the employees who keep Delta flying."
DeMerchant - Tuesday, September 26, 2006, 6:25:14am
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DeMerchant
Thursday, March 23, 2006, 7:37:50am
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Let's face it, Delta NEEDS to cut costs... So many airlines are starting to emerge from bankrupsy protection with better contracts with employees and lower debtloads... I actually read a relay good article on the pro's of purchasing share of companies emerging from bankrupsy with good plans...
Let's face it, Delta NEEDS to cut costs... So many airlines are starting to emerge from bankrupsy protection with better contracts with employees and lower debtloads... I actually read a relay good article on the pro's of purchasing share of companies emerging from bankrupsy with good plans...
DeMerch..... no matter what a company does, 95 % of the time the BIG SHOTS on top never lose any money. It's the little employee who suffers on the end. Just go back and see what happend to poeple of ENRON. Even if the Pilots go on strike, nothing will happen, except most pilots will lose their jobs
I completly agree johann, but lets face it, no matter who the cuts are coming from cutting costs is a positive (at least for the people who aren't losing money)... The airline indusrty has been in bad shape since 9/11... and now have to streamline processes to stay afloat... If the piolots go on strike managemnt probally wont change your right, because they dont want to cut their own saleries... but if there is a strike a lagging company will just end up in a worse financial position...
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