Sent: Wednesday, October 08, 2014 11:21 PM
Subject: PCN 217
Dear Mark,
Thank you very much for all that you do. I read with interest
Edition 217 which contained a series of letters of woe from retired Delta
pilots who’s retirement had been egregiously harmed because of the Delta
bankruptcy.
I don’t recall reading a missive from any of the red haired, freckle
faced step-children how adversely they were affected. For me, I lost
around 65% of my Delta pension. I do receive $500/month from my Western
“A” Plan.
Ever saw the 1958 movie Cat on a Hot Tin Roof starring Burl Ives who played Big Daddy, his beautiful
daughter played by Elizabeth Taylor, and Paul Newman as her husband? They
all lived on Big Daddy’s plantation.
The rule/policy @ the Plantation was: Big Daddy will take care of
you, but don’t you dare cross Big Daddy.
As someone who was not initially hired by Delta the ‘differences’ between
the carriers became evident to me. Fast forward to 2000, Contract 2000
specifically. For the first time in any year that I know of, the Delta
pilots stationed themselves in front of the terminals with informational
pickets and then there was the unofficial sickout during the Christmas
holidays.
This pissed Big
Daddy i.e. Delta off big time and it wouldn’t be forgotten. 9/11
happens, then the airline industry begins to tank and soon its a race to he
bottom. It appeared virtually every carrier was trying their best (except
Southwest) to become the worst.
The furlough lists grew exponentially as the bone yards in the deserts
filled up long before their useful airframe lives had expired.
I had retired taking my lump sum ($450,000) in 2002. My financial
advisor urged me when the “B” word began to be whispered (thank you Gerald
Grinstein) to stuff as much as I could afford into annuities so “they” wouldn’t
try to take the lump sum back. He said it hadn’t happened to the common
worker force but it was there on occasions where executives had bailed out
early knowing
the company was going to declare bankruptcy, but it didn’t happen to
Frank Lorenzo.
So, Big
Daddy got his revenge and he’s not going to give any of the non-qualified
pension funds back. The ‘new’ Delta isn’t obliged to pay anything if one
isn’t generating any revenue for the airline. Likewise ALPA isn’t obliged
to represent us. Just as in our first year, ALPA isn’t obliged to
represent us (except in an accident) until we become dues paying members.
Oh, one more item: Most of the retired Delta pilots that were adversely
affected by this obnoxious maneuver were Vietnam War veterans. Back in
‘the world’ many of the Hollyweed actors and actresses protesting the war were
giving aid & comfort to the enemy (ask any former denizen at the Hanoi
Hilton).
Next time you begin change the channel when a Delta Air Lines commercial
is aired, stick around long enough to hear who the “voice” of Delta Air Lines
is these days: Its one of the Vietnam War’s most vocal protesters, Donald
Sutherland who’s main source of income was playing a member of the military.
Big
Daddy has a long memory, and you’re not suppose to cross Big Daddy.
Roger T. Horrell
767A DFW
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