April 5, 200619 yr the pilots are overpaid anyway. If they ruin the airline, I hope they enjoy working at ABX making a quarter of what they did at Delta. They deserve it. The airline is in bankruptcy which means that the creditors are the ones calling the shots. True management is making the decisions about what needs cut, but the creditors have the authority to approve or reject the proposed cuts before it is presented to the pilots. In this case, the creditors (GE, Penion Funds, Etc) have dictated that these are the cuts that Delta needs to make in order to satisfy their debts. The pilots are stupid and arrogant. I hope they enjoy the unemployment line I don't necessarily agree. These people worked hard to achieve a certain level of success in their careers. Some pilots, at this point in their careers, are accustomed to a certain level of living. I don't blame them for wanting to MAINTAIN there standard of living. Delta has BAD management and a horrible business plan. I know this seems harsh, but Delta should go under. While I respectfully disagree with your opinion that Delta should go under, you are right in that this situation was partially caused by bad management decisions over the past 20 years and a combination of bad economics for Delta. I do feel bad for the pilots in that it is hard to give up something when you are used to a certain standard. They do work hard for their money but it seems short-sighted on their parts to want to give up an income for the unemployment line if they could take a pay cut and save what job (however shitty it may be) they have. The economics of the airline industry have changed and pilots are no longer in the same class as there predecessors. Pilots got paid well in the past because they possessed an important skill that very few people in society had and that skill could not be duplicated by machines. Unfortunately for them with the increase of technology, many times a pilot is nothing more than a glorified baby sitter, often watching an instrument panel while the computer flies the plane. As technology increases, the need for their skills in society diminishes and their salaries are driven down. It is a harsh pill to swallow but if they like what they are doing, they will bite the bullet and do it, otherwise, they will take their pay cut (which is in line with the industry now) and in the mean time look for other suitible employment opportunities.
April 5, 200619 yr the pilots are overpaid anyway. They were, true, but that sure has changed. It is a highly skilled job and it takes a lot to become a pilot. So many qualified people attempt to become pilots and do not get hired by a major airline (Delta, United, and the like) because it is so competitive. The path to become a pilot for a major airline involves many years flying at night making very little and having a crappy quality of life. And even that job takes a while to obtain after doing something like giving lessons in a small single engine airplane and making a few thousand a year for a while in order to get flighttime. There are exceptions to this career path (military is a big one), but for most this is the way. Do you think it is a good idea to put the lives of hundreds of people in the hands of someone who is not qualified? A company gets the most qualified people for the job by offering good pay and a good quality of life. What I am trying to say is the path to getting the job is very long and hard and maybe, just maybe, they deserve to be treated with a little respect by the management. Throughout history, whenever the airline takes a downturn, the pilots willingly take pay cuts in order to help the airline, Heck, they even bought and a 767 for the company. But, when times are good, does the company ever say, "thanks for the help" and give the pilots a bonus when the company is doing well? no. I believe the pilots were taken advantage of and this is the last straw for them. If they ruin the airline, I hope they enjoy working at ABX making a quarter of what they did at Delta. well they have already taken way over 50% pay cut thus far so I don't think that will be such a huge difference. Basically, they work more, make less. The pilots are stupid and arrogant. I hope they enjoy the unemployment line Well, this is a compelling argument. Stupid is the first word that comes to mind. :/ Arrogant, some are, but that is true with everything. That is quite a blanket statement though.
April 5, 200619 yr many times a pilot is nothing more than a glorified baby sitter, often watching an instrument panel while the computer flies the plane. many times sure, but in zero visibility and a low ceiling, I bet you will want some who is able to fly up there.
April 5, 200619 yr I don't care how good the computers are i want someone in the cockpit that has the skills and knows how to fly in any situation. If someone was smart enough at delta to lock in oil futures contracts 4-5 years ago like they did at southwest they would have made a killing over the last couple of years.
April 5, 200619 yr Quote the pilots are overpaid anyway. They were, true, but that sure has changed. It is a highly skilled job and it takes a lot to become a pilot. So many qualified people attempt to become pilots and do not get hired by a major airline (Delta, United, and the like) because it is so competitive. The path to become a pilot for a major airline involves many years flying at night making very little and having a crappy quality of life. And even that job takes a while to obtain after doing something like giving lessons in a small single engine airplane and making a few thousand a year for a while in order to get flighttime. There are exceptions to this career path (military is a big one), but for most this is the way. Do you think it is a good idea to put the lives of hundreds of people in the hands of someone who is not qualified? A company gets the most qualified people for the job by offering good pay and a good quality of life. What I am trying to say is the path to getting the job is very long and hard and maybe, just maybe, they deserve to be treated with a little respect by the management. Throughout history, whenever the airline takes a downturn, the pilots willingly take pay cuts in order to help the airline, Heck, they even bought and a 767 for the company. That quote has earned you a spot on my respected users list, couldn't have said it better myself! To add to what cincinnatizach said, a computerized cockpit has become the norm in commercial aviation, however you still need someone skilled enough and competant enough to manipulate said automation, as well as maintain a constant visual check of the space in front of him/her, so that any quick reation necessary can be executed in the quickest and safest manner possible. Cockpit crews must still be trained to cope with the loss of electrical power, meaning a loss of all automated flying capabilities. Granted, 99.9% of the time, a captain spends his/her time staring at clouds at 35,000 ft., however when that 00.1% of the time occurs, where the lives of a hundred or so people depends on the skills and knowledge the cockpit crew has developed, the money spent on attracting competant and skilled flight crews makes it all worth while. As far as Delta's situation is concerned, I think it's still up in the air (no pun intended). It's extremely hard to predict what the pilots will decide, since it comes down to a vote, but given the concessions repeatedly given at other airlines that have since plunged into and emerged from bankruptcy (United and USAirways), as well as the complete lack of any effect that the strike issued by Northwest's mechanics, would lead me to believe that the Delta pilots will ultimately come to a decision at the 11th hour, and will not strike...that is, if they want to have a job at all in the end.
April 5, 200619 yr I have no problem with what pilots make, I dont care if they make 10,000 or 1,000,000. Regardless, I would say they are overpaid because there is obviously not a demand for their services at that price. Regardless of whether Delta Management screwed up royally and ran the airline into the ground, the pilots are kinda stuck on that sinking ship. If someone could easily go out and start an airline to make up for management mistakes. Point being, the only power the pilots have is to change professions. I feel bad for them but all a strike will get them is a ticket to the unemployment line.
April 8, 200619 yr From the AP, 4/8/06: Delta pilots union: Strike 'more likely' THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ATLANTA - The pilots union at Delta Air Lines Inc. ordered members to clear their lockers Friday in anticipation of a possible strike the union says is "becoming more likely every day." The union representing the airline's 5,930 pilots is in a protracted dispute with management over long-term pay and benefit cuts that Atlanta-based Delta is seeking. About 500 pilots are based at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Delta's second largest hub. The company has asked an arbitration panel to void its contract with pilots so it can impose up to $325 million in cuts. The pilots union has said it would strike if the contract is thrown out. The panel must rule by April 15, and the pilots have given their union leader authorization to call a strike anytime after April 17. Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060408/BIZ01/604080346/1076/rss01 From the 4/8/06 Enquirer: Comair judge: Keep talking Both arguments questioned BY JAMES PILCHER | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER NEW YORK - The judge who has to decide whether to reject Comair's contract with its flight attendants expressed strong skepticism Friday over the cases of both management and the union - a move possibly intended to push both sides to a settlement. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Adlai Hardin has until Monday to decide whether the company can reject its contract with its nearly 1,000-member flight-attendant union and impose cuts worth $8.9 million annually. He did not indicate when he would rule, but instead urged both sides to keep talking. Hardin has the discretion to extend the deadline. If the contract is voided and new rules imposed, a strike is likely, the local branch of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters has said. The company has warned that without the cuts, and without the related concessions from its other unions that are linked to a flight attendant deal, it will no longer be competitive and could eventually liquidate. Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060408/BIZ01/604080344/1076/rss01
April 11, 200619 yr From the 4/9/06 Enquirer: PHOTO: Flight attendants with Comair gathered in front of Federal Bankruptcy Court in New York March 27. Comair is asking its flight attendants for $8.9 million in wage and benefit cuts. The flight attendants, represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, say they will go on strike if the airline voids their existing labor contract. The Associated Press/Shiho Fukada Transport labor law tested Can troubled companies pull the plug on labor contracts? BY JAMES PILCHER | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER The question for many local travelers recently has been: Will the Comair flight attendants or the Delta Air Lines pilots go on strike this month? But as the labor disputes at both airlines have progressed, another key question has arisen: Can those workers legally walk out? The answer is as murky as trying to predict the outcome of the concession talks between both airlines and their respective unions. The situation is setting such new legal ground that many experts believe both cases could wind up in a protracted court fight. The cases could eventually wind up in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, experts say. Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060409/BIZ01/604090344/1076/rss01
April 11, 200619 yr From the 4/10/06 Enquirer: Airlines face stealth 'strike' Work slowdowns, mass sick days have been used BY ALEXANDER COOLIDGE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER As possible labor strife looms at Delta Air Lines and its subsidiary Comair, the shape of a strike or other work action may look nothing like the Comair pilots strike in 2001. Given the precarious financial state of both airlines, labor and legal experts say unions may choose to employ disruptive tactics to frustrate company executives rather than cripple operations. So instead of walking off the job, Comair flight attendants might all call in sick at one particular airport. Or Delta pilots might delay take-offs by doing extra safety checks. Richard Hurd, a professor of labor studies at Cornell University, said unions might find isolated disruptive actions to be a more attractive option than an all-out walkout. "These types of tactics are a lower-risk approach because they don't force the other side's hand," he said. "They're an attractive option because they send a message but don't create a take-it-or-leave-it situation." Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060410/BIZ01/604100336/1076/rss01
April 11, 200619 yr From the 4/11/06 Enquirer: Comair, Delta still flying Disputes between unions, airlines to be decided after Easter BY JAMES PILCHER | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER There should be no strike at either Delta Air Lines or Comair before Easter, but Monday and beyond is still up to the individual airlines and their pilots and flight attendants. Delta chief executive officer Gerald Grinstein said Monday that he does not expect the independent arbitration panel deciding the airline's dispute with its pilots union to rule before April 17 - the first day that the union chairman can call a walkout. Delta is seeking more than $300 million a year in cuts from its 5,700-member pilots union, its lone major union, as the airline restructures under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Grinstein warned that Delta would not survive for more than 24 hours if the pilots go on strike. But he said that while a Comair strike would not threaten Delta's long-term future, such an event could mean trouble for Comair's survival chances. Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060411/BIZ01/604110323/1076/rss01
April 13, 200619 yr From the 4/12/06 Enquirer: Comair, union to resume talks Airline seeking $8.9M in concessions BY JAMES PILCHER | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER Comair and its flight attendants will resume negotiations Thursday and Friday over the $8.9 million in concessions sought by management, four days before a judge could cancel an existing contract and let Comair impose new terms. Rejection of the contract could trigger a strike by the nearly 1,000-member branch of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Management of the Erlanger-based regional carrier has said the airline's existence is at stake if it can't get the cuts - primarily because concessionary deals with the pilots and mechanics won't kick in until all parties take cuts, including the flight attendants. Comair says it needs to lower costs to remain competitive and keep flying for parent Delta Air Lines. The airline last month asked a federal judge to reject the existing contract, and U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Adlai Hardin was supposed to rule by April 10 - but he extended that deadline until Monday. Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060412/BIZ01/604120329/1076/rss01 From the 4/12/06 Cincinnati Post: Airport's controllers upset By Greg Paeth Post staff reporter Delta pilots and Comair flight attendants aren't the only unionized employees at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport who are deeply dissatisfied with their management. The union representing more than 14,000 air traffic controllers nationwide, including 78 locally, has launched a campaign designed to win public support for the men and women who keep planes from colliding in flight. At issue, according to the union, is a Federal Aviation Administration plan that threatens to erode air traffic controllers' salaries. Full story at http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060412/NEWS01/604120340/1010/RSS01
April 13, 200619 yr From the AP, 4/13/06: Pilots walk line as talks intensify BY HARRY R. WEBER | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ATLANTA - More than 300 Delta Air Lines pilots marched near the company's headquarters here Wednesday and placed a 20-foot inflatable rat on a street corner to symbolize what they see as corporate greed in management's effort to void their contract and impose pay cuts. The demonstration came even as there appeared to be progress in talks that were continuing between union and company negotiators at a hotel in New York. Spokesmen for the nation's third-largest carrier and the union declined to comment about the closed-door talks, which were said to be intensifying. Any deal on long-term pay and benefit cuts would have to be ratified by the Atlanta-based airline's 5,930 pilots. About 500 of the pilots are based at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Delta's second-largest hub. Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060413/BIZ01/604130305/1076/rss01
April 14, 200619 yr :clap: From the 4/14/06 Enquirer: Delta, pilots reach a deal BY ALEXANDER COOLIDGE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER Bankrupt Delta Air Lines and its pilots union said today they have reached a tentative deal to cut pilot pay and benefits, avoiding for now a potentially fatal strike. The announcement comes a day before an arbitration panel was scheduled to rule on whether Delta could throw out its pilots contract and impose new terms. The pilot strike threat had unnerved Delta passengers, some of whom scrambled to make alternate travel plans over the busy Easter weekend. The threat also hurt bookings on the Atlanta-based airline. Delta’s mainline carrier operates 1,722 daily flights and had more than 118 million passengers last year. Neither side released details of the pact, which now will be reviewed by the union leadership before it decides whether to put the deal before its 6,000 members for a ratification vote. About 500 pilots are based at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in Hebron – the airline’s second-largest hub. If approved by the pilots, the deal would also be subject to U.S. Bankruptcy Court approval. Delta and its Erlanger-based subsidiary, regional carrier Comair, filed for Chapter 11 reorganization last September. Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060414/BIZ01/304140015/1076/rss01 From same: Attendants threaten strike Union charges Comair inflexible in negotiations BY ALEXANDER COOLIDGE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER The union representing Comair's flight attendants labeled the company as inflexible after a day of unfruitful negotiations Thursday. The union said it's preparing for a potential strike as early as Monday. Victoria Gray, a spokeswoman for the flight attendants, said both sides remain apart on a number of issues, particularly job security protections. The union wants the carrier to grant a transferable job guarantee in the event Comair is sold by its bankrupt parent Delta Air Lines. "Talks are not progressing," she said. "There is no movement on the job protection issue." Gray said negotiators remain in Washington, but new talks had not been scheduled as of Thursday evening. Comair spokeswoman Kate Moser said the point of negotiations was to preserve the airline. Delta executives have expressed a willingness to liquidate its Erlanger-based subsidiary if it fails to lower costs. "The best job security we can offer is a restructured Comair," she said. Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060414/BIZ01/604140376/1076/rss01
April 15, 200619 yr From the 4/15/06 Enquirer: Comair, attendant talks end Increases strike possibility BY ALEXANDER COOLIDGE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER Failure to agree on job protection language ended talks Friday between Comair and its flight attendants, the two sides said. And, the failure increased the possibility of a strike at the Erlanger-based carrier as early as Monday, even as a potential strike threat apparently ended at parent Delta Air Lines. Victoria Gray, a spokeswoman for Local 513 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, said the union's negotiators were going to leave talks in Washington. Assuming a bankruptcy court judge Monday grants Comair the right to void its contract with its nearly 1,000 flight attendants, Grey said the union could call for a work action as soon as the company tries to implement the order. "Unless we get a phone call over the weekend, we wait for the judge's decision on Monday," she said. Comair officials indicated they would seek a court order to bar the flight attendants from striking or other disruption. Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060415/BIZ01/604150344/1076/rss01 From the 4/15/06 Enquirer: Deal keeps planes flying But Comair attendants prepare for strike BY ALEXANDER COOLIDGE AND BRENNA R. KELLY | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITERS Delta Air Lines and the negotiators for its pilots union made a deal Friday, averting a potential strike that could have shut down the airline as early as Monday. Meanwhile, talks between Comair, Delta's Erlanger-based subsidiary, and its flight attendants' union appeared to have stalled, however. Teamsters officials said that unless they were called back to the table over the weekend, they would await a bankruptcy court judge's ruling on whether Comair can reject their contract. If the contract is voided and Comair imposes its contract terms, officials said, the union would strike or stage some other type of disruption, such as sickouts - although they declined to elaborate on tactics. Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060415/BIZ01/604150345/-1/rss From the 4/15/06 Kentucky Post: Delta not out of the woods yet By Bob Driehaus Post contributor Delta Air Lines and its pilots reached an 11th-hour tentative agreement early Friday morning that at least postpones a potentially catastrophic strike and keeps the bankrupt airline moving toward its restructuring goals. The immediate impact is the promise of uninterrupted service for Delta's customers and employees. The long-term impact remains to be seen, pending a vote on the proposed contract by Delta's 6,000 pilots. If the agreement is ratified, negotiations between Delta-subsidiary Comair and its flight attendants' union would be the last outstanding labor dispute among all of Delta's unionized workers. Delta and the Air Line Pilots Association, which represents pilots, kept details of the proposed settlement under wraps on Friday to give union leaders time to review details of the tentative agreement, which was reached with the union's negotiating team. Full story at http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060415/NEWS02/604150336/1011/RSS02
April 17, 200619 yr If Delta disappears, AirTran could eye name, some assets Cincinnati Business Courier - April 14, 2006 With a possible pilots strike threatening to kill an already bleeding Delta Air Lines, questions loom about the future of the airline and its CVG hub. If a pilot strike forces Delta to cease operations -- and many experts think chances are slim that it will -- the airline's assets could be sold for pennies on the dollar in a liquidation. Atlanta-based business consultant Harry Nolan, who has a new book about Delta called "Airline Without a Pilot," thinks some of Delta's routes and the brand itself could be worth something to other airlines. He argues, in fact, that low-cost AirTran Airways, which competes head to head with Delta in Atlanta, might be a good candidate to acquire the Delta name and some of its infrastructure if Delta doesn't survive bankruptcy. Other industry observers think Delta is more likely to merge with another major carrier, such as Continental or Northwest Airlines. It's unclear, though, how interested any of those airlines would be in having a presence in Cincinnati that's anywhere near as large as the presence Delta has now. Full story at http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2006/04/17/story3.html?from_rss=1
April 17, 200619 yr From the 4/17/06 Enquirer: No Comair decision today BY ALEXANDER COOLIDGE AND JAMES PILCHER | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER A bankruptcy judge will not rule today on whether to invalidate Comair's labor agreement with its nearly 1,000 flight attendants. The assistant to Judge Adlai Hardin said the judge also gave no indication when he might rule. A decision could spur new negotiations between the deadlocked parties, which ended talks Thursday to await this decision. More likely, a ruling could push the labor dispute into new realms - with either some type of labor disruption, including a full-fledged strike, or corporate maneuvers that could shrink or dismantle the Erlanger-based airline. Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060417/BIZ01/604170342/1076/rss01
April 18, 200619 yr From the 4/18/06 Enquirer: Judge withholds Comair ruling BY JAMES PILCHER | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER The judge overseeing the labor dispute between Comair and its flight attendant union did not rule Monday on whether the company could reject the union's contract. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Adlai S. Hardin Jr. gave no indication when he might rule on the company's request and let it impose $8.9 million worth of annual cuts. The union has threatened a strike if the new terms are imposed. Hardin was scheduled to rule Monday after extending his decision by seven days on April 10 at the request of the Erlanger-based regional airline and its local branch of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. But Hardin did not come into his office in White Plains, N.Y., Monday, said his assistant, Claire Logue Togher. She said Hardin also has not said when he might rule. Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060418/BIZ01/604180323/1076/rss01
April 22, 200619 yr This is just embarrassing.... Workers asked to clean planes - for a free T-shirt ST. PETERSBURG TIMES AND THE ENQUIRER Bankrupt Delta Air Lines has cut thousands of jobs, slashed salaries and considered dumping its pilots' pension plan to stay in business. Now, the nation's No. 3 airline is asking its 50,000 employees to volunteer to clean aircraft at night on their own time. Their reward: a free T-shirt, reward points good for merchandise and a chance to show their pride in the airline. An undetermined number of workers cleaned planes at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport on Wednesday night, Delta spokeswoman Gina Laughlin said. Employees will pull four- and eight-hour shifts to clean interior windows and walls, "scrape stuff from tray tables and floors ... if there's gum on the floor," said spokesman Anthony Black. Cleaning lavatories is part of the drill, too. After pay cuts and the bitter struggle with pilots, the idea of Clean Days could rub employees the wrong way, said Daniel Petree, dean of the college of business at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach. "It could be seen as adding insult to injury, asking for free labor," Petree said. However, it's legal for employers to ask workers to volunteer their time as long as it's not "tongue in cheek (where) if you don't volunteer, you don't have a job," said Dean Papas, an employment lawyer in Tampa. Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060421/BIZ01/604210360/1076/rss01
April 22, 200619 yr From the AP, 4/22/06: Union agrees to Delta cuts BY HARRY R. WEBER | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ATLANTA - The leaders of the pilots union at Delta Air Lines Inc. have ratified an initial 14 percent wage cut in a tentative agreement on concessions between the union and management. The vote by the leadership was 12-1 in favor of ratification, according to a memo sent late Friday to pilots, who will be asked to approve it. The agreement was reached between the nation's third-largest carrier and union negotiators on April 14, clearing one hurdle for Atlanta-based Delta by avoiding a crippling strike. Now comes what could be the harder part - getting the airline's 5,930 pilots, who came to the brink of a walkout, to approve the deal. Union leaders had been meeting since Wednesday in New Orleans to discuss the agreement. The deal represents "a concessionary agreement," Lee Moak, chairman of the union's executive committee, told pilots. But, he said, "Our goal throughout the Chapter 11 process has been to reach a comprehensive consensual agreement that will lead to our working for a profitable airline with long-term viability that protects the major terms of our (contract) and that provides strong returns for our sacrifices. I believe this agreement meets that goal." The balloting will begin in mid-May and will remain open for 15 days. Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060422/BIZ01/304220010/1076/rss01
April 24, 200619 yr Comair, attendants still feuding By Greg Paeth, Post staff reporter Comair and its flight attendants union turned up the volume in their long and bitter battle of words Friday when the Erlanger-based regional carrier accused the union of refusing to sit down and negotiate important contract issues. "At this critical juncture - with the fate (of) our airline and jobs hanging in the balance - the company believes we should return to the table to make meaningful progress toward getting an agreement," Comair's Joel Kuplack said in a memo to flight attendants. Connie Slayback, president of Teamsters Local 513, vigorously disagreed. "This is just so not true. I wish they would quit playing games," she said. "They want to make it appear as if we're unwilling to talk." The stalemate comes at a time when Comair and its parent company, Delta Air Lines, are waist-deep in legal paperwork in New York, where they have filed for federal bankruptcy protection from creditors. Full story at http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AE/20060422/BIZ/604220330/-1/CINCI&template=printpicart
April 26, 200619 yr Good. A contract is a contract. You shouldn't be allowed to terminate it just because it's inconvenient. From the 4/26/06 Enquirer: Comair loses contract fight BY ALEXANDER COOLIDGE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER A federal bankruptcy judge in New York City this afternoon ruled against Comair's bid to dump a contract with its flight attendants union. The decision by Judge Adlai Hardin means the Erlanger-based carrier can't reject the contract in a effort to cut $8.9 million in costs. It throws into limbo cost cutting agreements with Comair's unionized pilots and mechanics, which are contingent on cuts from the airline's nearly 1,000 flight attendants. In his decision, Hardin said because Comair had set the cuts for the flight attendants at $8.9 million in its concession deals with the other two unions, its talks with the flight attendants hadn't met the good faith standard required for a contract to be voided under bankrtupcy law. He also took both sides to task for making what he called "Draconian threats." The judge wrote that "I have decided this motion and will decide any further such motion if made, based solely on the evidence and the statutory merits, without regard whatsoever to threats by either side." In closing his 25-page decision, Hardin implored both sides to resume negotiation - a step that his ruling is required under the applicable federal laws. Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060426/BIZ01/304260019/1076/rss01
April 27, 200619 yr Man, who is running Delta?? Air fares at CVG are up 25.9% By Kerry Duke Post staff reporter Air fares at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in the last quarter of 2005 climbed by 25.9 percent from the same period in 2004 - the highest year-to-year increase among the nation's 85 largest airports, according to a report released Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The jump was nearly three times the increase reported for all airports surveyed by the department's Bureau of Transportation Statistics. At Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, where Delta Air Lines and its Comair subsidiary operate nearly 90 percent of the flights, the fare increase was blamed primarily on two factors: - December's 26 percent reduction in service by Delta. The airline made the move to "right size" operations at its hub, according to the company's Chris Kelly. With fewer flights at the airport, the law of supply and demand sent fares higher. - The rise in jet fuel costs that all airlines have experienced. The average price of jet fuel rose 28 percent in the first quarter of this year. More at http://www.cincypost.com
April 28, 200619 yr From the 4/27/06 Cincinnati Post: Subsidiary's future grows dim By Bob Driehaus, Post contributor Ordered back to the negotiating table by a federal bankruptcy judge, Comair and parent company Delta Air Lines are insistent that without concessions from flight attendants the Northern Kentucky born and based commuter airline's future is grim. Comair's 7,000 jobs are on the line, top officials from both companies told The Post Wednesday evening, just hours after U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Adlai Hardin in New York denied Comair's request to force flight attendants to take $8.9 million in annual pay and benefits cuts. It's an assessment one industry analyst considers more than just a passing threat because Comair is expendable as Delta tries to regain its financial footing. "The bottom line is this: Delta doesn't need Comair," said Michael Boyd, an aviation industry consultant and head of the Boyd Group consultants in Evergreen, Colorado. "Delta being in bankruptcy means it could shut it down tomorrow. If the flight attendants don't want to play ball, they'll be out on the street. It's as simple as that." Full story at http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060427/NEWS01/604270377/1001/RSS04
April 28, 200619 yr From the 4/28/06 Enquirer: Comair, attendants to retry BY ALEXANDER COOLIDGE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER Acting on a bankruptcy judge's urging, Comair and its flight attendants union said Thursday they will head back to the bargaining table next month. No dates were specified. Word of the new talks came a day after Judge Adlai Hardin refused a request by the Erlanger-based regional carrier to void the union's contract after months of fruitless negotiations attempting to get its nearly 1,000 members to accept an $8.9 million pay cut. The setback threatened the bankrupt regional airline's future, since other cost-cutting deals brokered with its pilots and mechanics unions hinged on concessions from the flight attendants as well. Victoria Gray, a spokeswoman for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which includes the flight attendants, said Comair's lawyer contacted her Thursday afternoon and they would set up a new round of negotiations in May. She and the union's lawyer, however, indicated the union won't be as generous in new talks. The flight attendants' last offer before Hardin's ruling was to give up $7.2 million in concessions. But the judge's decision chided Comair for its "take-it-or-leave-it" stance in negotiations, which he ruled didn't meet the company's obligation under bankruptcy law to "confer in good faith." Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060428/BIZ01/604280371/1076/rss01
April 29, 200619 yr Delta wants out of CVG lease BY ALEXANDER COOLIDGE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER Unable to negotiate lower terms with bondholders, Delta Air Lines Friday asked a bankruptcy court judge to reject its lease agreements at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. Delta and airport officials said the action would not jeopardize the company's presence at the airport in Hebron. "We want a more competitive cost structure," said Doug Blissitt, vice president of corporate real estate for Delta, who added the airline would negotiate a new arrangement with the airport if the leases were rejected. Delta officials said the move wouldn't affect Cincinnati customers. If a judge grants the motion, bondholders would be left holding the bag for $413.5 million in unsecured debt and the airport would lose about $400,000 in annual revenue. The Kenton County Airport Board would then have to negotiate a new lease with Delta over Terminal 3, Concourse B and other property, said Will Ziegler, the lawyer for the board. The airport issued the bonds in 1992 at the time most of the facilities were constructed, but neither the airport nor taxpayers are ultimately on the hook for the bonds, Ziegler said. Delta's lease payments - roughly $30 million per year - were assigned to make payments to a trustee, UMB Bank of Kansas City, to pay bondholders. Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060429/BIZ01/604290335/-1/rss
May 9, 200619 yr From the 5/9/06 Enquirer: Comair to judge: Reconsider BY ALEXANDER COOLIDGE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER Comair has asked a bankruptcy judge to reconsider his decision last month to let stand its contract with its flight attendants union. In its filing, the regional airline said Judge Adlai Hardin's April 26 order overlooked facts and included legal errors. Comair, a subsidiary of bankrupt Delta Air Lines, says cuts in flight attendants’ salaries are vital to the regional airline’s restructuring. Hardin ruled against Comair two weeks ago, saying the cuts it sought were deeper than from other workers and that it hadn’t bargained in good faith. Comair made the motion just days before it and the flight attendants union are scheduled to return to the bargaining table. Hardin's decision threw into limbo cost cutting agreements with Comair's unionized pilots and mechanics, which are contingent on cuts from the airline's nearly 1,000 flight attendants, which are represented by Local 513 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060509/BIZ01/305090010/-1/rss From the 5/9/06 Cincinnati Post: Air controllers upset Contract dispute with FAA By Kerry Duke Post staff reporter Members of the union representing air traffic controllers at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport passed out leaflets to travelers Monday as part of a multimillion-dollar nationwide campaign to win public support in a contract dispute. The leaflets, distributed outside Terminal 3, warn that if the contract proposed by the Federal Aviation Administration goes into effect in June, it will prompt a large number of the most experienced air traffic controllers to retire. And that, according to air traffic controller and union spokesman Jason Hubbard, raises safety concerns. "It amounts to fewer eyes watching more airplanes," Hubbard said. "That's not acceptable. Our No. 1 priority is safety." Last month, contract talks between the National Air Traffic Controllers Association and the FAA broke down, setting in motion a process in which Congress has 60 days to take action on a proposal the FAA put forward. If Congress does nothing, the FAA's plan goes into effect automatically. Full story at http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060509/NEWS01/605090369
May 12, 200619 yr From the 5/10/06 Enquirer: Think again, Comair asks judge Airline tries again for OK to cancel contract BY ALEXANDER COOLIDGE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER Comair has asked a bankruptcy court judge to rethink his decision to uphold its contract with its flight attendants union. Judge Hardin's decision threw into limbo cost-cutting agreements with Comair's unionized pilots and mechanics. Those deals were contingent on cuts from the airline's nearly 1,000 flight attendants, which are represented by Local 513 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Victoria Gray, a spokeswoman for the Teamsters, said the talks are still on for Thursday. She said union officials are confident the judge will stick with his decision. "We plan to continue negotiations," she said. The union's lawyer, Bill Wilder, said Comair's filing was a tactical maneuver that gives Comair more time to file an appeal if the motion is rejected. "We don't think the judge will change his mind and think his decision will withstand appeal as well," he said. In his 25-page ruling, Hardin said because Comair had set the cuts for the flight attendants at $8.9 million in its concession deals with the other two unions, its talks with the flight attendants hadn't met the good-faith standard required for a contract to be voided under bankruptcy law. In a 30-page memorandum, Comair said Hardin misinterpreted the law because bankruptcy only allows it to renegotiate labor contracts for cuts it deems necessary. Hardin ruled Comair was being inflexible in negotiations because it stuck to the $8.9 million in cuts it determined were necessary. Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060510/BIZ01/605100305/-1/rss03
May 12, 200619 yr From the 5/12/06 Cincinnati Post: Comair, union return to the bargaining table By Greg Paeth Post staff reporter Comair and the union representing its flight attendants returned to the bargaining table in Washington, D.C., Thursday in an effort to reach an agreement on wage and benefit concessions. The regional airline that is based in Erlanger and owned by Delta Air Lines says it needs to trim $8.9 million from its annual budget for flight attendants to complete a financial restructuring plan in U.S. bankruptcy court in New York. A new agreement with flight attendants is thought to be the final hurdle that Comair must clear before its entire restructuring plan can be submitted to the court for approval. That deal is crucial, though, because concessions packages already worked out with pilots and mechanics won't kick in without it. Comair has warned that, without the cuts, the airline could shut down. Full story at http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060512/BIZ/605120330/1001/RSS04 From the 5/12/06 Enquirer: Delta's losses: $2.1B more BY ALEXANDER COOLIDGE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER Bankrupt Delta Air Lines said Thursday it lost another $2.1 billion during the first quarter of this year, including $1.7 billion in non-cash charges from its reorganization. Yet the company did cut its operating loss nearly in half, compared to the same quarter in 2005. The company said it was making progress in its restructuring - notably its recent tentative deal with its pilots union to cut pay and benefits by $280 million a year through 2009 - even though its losses rose 9 1percent from the same period last year. The pilots union is to begin voting next week on the proposal through May 31. The latest results bring the carrier's losses since the end of 2000 to more than $14.4 billion. Atlanta-based Delta is the dominant carrier at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, its second largest hub. Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060512/BIZ01/605120364/-1/rss
May 13, 200619 yr From the 5/13/06 Enquirer: Comair, union to keep talking BY ALEXANDER COOLIDGE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER Negotiators for Erlanger-based Comair and its flight attendants union said they will return to the bargaining table next week after wrapping up two days of talks Friday. The flight attendants union gave the airline a new proposal and the regional airline said it will provide a counter offer on Tuesday when three more days of talks are to begin in Washington, D.C., union officials said. Neither side provided details of the latest proposal. "It's too early to say whether we're optimistic or pessimistic," said Connie Slayback, president of Local 513 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. "We'll know more next week." Comair has about 1,000 flight attendants. Comair officials were tight-lipped about any progress. "Both sides are working hard to negotiate an agreement but out of respect for the process, we won't comment further," said spokesman Nick Miller. Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060513/BIZ01/605130347/-1/rss
May 16, 200619 yr From the 5/16/06 Enquirer: Pilots hear pay-cut details BY ALEXANDER COOLIDGE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER ERLANGER - Locally based Delta Air Lines pilots were briefed behind closed doors Monday as they prepare to vote on $280 million in annual pay cuts. Pilots described the mood as somber as the 6,000-member union Wednesday begins two weeks of voting on a concession package aimed at helping the region's dominant carrier get out of bankruptcy next year. More than 100 pilots attended the briefing at the Holiday Inn Airport. About 500 pilots are based locally. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport is Delta's second-largest hub, behind Atlanta. One pilot who has been with the airline for more than five years said he thought the measure would pass once the votes are tallied May 31, although he had mixed feelings about the proposal. The Enquirer is not identifying him because company and union rules prohibit pilots from speaking to reporters; violators can face discipline from Delta, including dismissal. Full story at http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060516/NEWS01/605160347
May 26, 200619 yr From the AP, 5/25/06: Delta's pilots oppose retired pilots' request BY HARRY R. WEBER | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ATLANTA - Delta Air Lines Inc.'s pilots union said Wednesday that it opposes an effort by some retired pilots to block the union's wage-concession deal with the bankrupt carrier. The Air Line Pilots Association, which represents Delta's 5,930 active pilots, said in a statement that the agreement reached last month is in the best interests of the airline, its pilots and its creditors. Tuesday, a group that represents some retired Delta pilots asked a bankruptcy court judge to reject the concession agreement. The Delta Pilots' Pension Preservation Organization said in its objection that if the agreement is approved, it would set the stage for drastically reducing certain pension benefits of the airline's 5,800 retired pilots. A hearing on the objection is scheduled for Wednesday, the same day Delta's active pilots are scheduled to complete their voting on the agreement, which the nation's third-largest carrier says would save it an average of $280 million a year. Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060525/BIZ01/605250314/1076/rss01
May 27, 200619 yr From the 5/27/06 Enquirer: Comair chief Buttrell resigns BY ALEXANDER COOLIDGE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER ERLANGER - Comair announced Friday the resignation of its president Fred Buttrell. The regional airline said Chief Financial Officer Don Bornhorst would replace Buttrell, effective immediately. Company and flight attendant union officials said the development would not affect the course of their concession talks. Three days of talks earlier this month didn't result in a deal. Joe Kolshak, executive vice president of operations at Delta Air Lines, added that Buttrell's exit did not signal a change of direction in Delta's plans for its subsidiary. Bornhorst, 41, a Northern Kentucky native and a Comair veteran since 1991, was well-equipped to take over even at such a critical stage, Kolshak said. Bornhorst said Friday the company still thinks it needs to achieve $42 million in overall labor cost cuts, but declined to say how he hoped to achieve that, given the flight attendants' unwillingness to contribute the $8.9 million in cuts that was part of that plan. Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060527/BIZ01/605270320/-1/rss
May 31, 200619 yr From the 5/31/06 Enquirer: Delta pilots OK pay cuts BY ALEXANDER COOLIDGE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER Pilots at Delta Air Lines approved a $280 million pay cut package to help the company leave bankruptcy, the Air Line Pilots Association said this morning. The vote by the Atlanta-based airline’s rank-and-file pilots was 61 percent in favor, the union said in a memo to pilots. The agreement, which runs through 2009, would take effect Thursday, assuming a bankruptcy court judge also approves the deal at a hearing later today in White Plains, N.Y. The tentative pact would cut pilot pay, which now averages about $146,000 a year, by 14 percent. Pilots will get modest pay raises through Dec. 31, 2009, as well as equity in a reorganized Delta. Delta has nearly 6,000 pilots. More than 500 are stationed at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Delta's second largest hub. Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060531/BIZ01/305310014/1076/BIZ
June 3, 200619 yr I was wondering if Delta was going to consider closing down its relatively new call center downtown.....I'm glad they have cleared the air and not dropped the axe. Delta to close two call centers; Cincinnati spared Cincinnati Business Courier Delta Air Lines announced Friday that it will close two reservation centers, one in Miami and one in Montgomery, Alabama. That leaves the Atlanta-based airline with seven centers, including one in Cincinnati. The two centers will close by Sept. 1, eliminating about 650 jobs. A Delta spokesman said in published reports that those employees can bid for other jobs within the company, and could receive severance. Delta filed for bankruptcy last September. Since then, the airline has been slashing costs, and recently got an agreement from its pilots to forgo about $280 million annually in pay and benefits. The airline's other reservation centers are in Atlanta; Augusta, Ga.; Dallas; Huntsville, Ala.; Salt Lake City; and Tampa, Fla. More at http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/
June 3, 200619 yr From the AP, 6/3/06: Pay cut enough for now CEO says costs stabilized BY AOIFE WHITE | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS PARIS - Delta Air Lines has no plans to ask its pilots for a third pay cut, Chief Executive Gerald Grinstein said Friday in an interview. He also dismissed the idea, at least for now, that the bankrupt company could merge with another carrier. Grinstein, in Paris for a meeting, said the $280-million-a-year concessions agreement that pilots and the bankruptcy court approved Wednesday gives the Atlanta-based airline the cost cuts it needs. The airline's chief financial officer, Edward Bastian, had been noncommittal when asked in March whether the company might seek a third pay cut from pilots. Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060603/BIZ01/606030348/1076/rss01
June 6, 200619 yr From the AP, 6/6/06: Judge approves $41 million for fees in Delta case By Harry R. Weber Associated Press ATLANTA - A bankruptcy judge Monday approved $41.4 million in expenses and fees for services provided by Delta Air Lines Inc. lawyers and advisers during the first 4½ months of the company's Chapter 11 case. The compensation excludes another $2.04 million requested by other firms and $195,000 the judge has held back from the Atlanta-based airline's auditor, Deloitte & Touche LLP, for work between Sept. 14, 2005 and Jan. 31, 2006. The overall fees and expenses could reach $205.9 million if the bills continue at the same rate until Delta exits bankruptcy, which it expects to do by the summer of 2007. The total assumes Delta exits the first day of summer next year, June 21. Full story at http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060606/BIZ/606060314/1001/RSS04
June 10, 200619 yr From the AP, 6/8/06: Pension insurer appeals Delta agreement By Harry R. Weber Associated Press ATLANTA - The government's pension insurer Wednesday appealed a bankruptcy court judge's approval of the $280-million-a-year concessions agreement between Delta Air Lines Inc. and its pilots. The appeal by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. filed with the U.S. District Court in New York was terse and did not make an argument. In a subsequent filing late Wednesday, the PBGC said one of the issues it is raising is whether a bankruptcy court may approve an agreement between a debtor and one of its unions that compensates employees for losses resulting from the underfunding of their pension plan in the event of that plan's termination, when all such claims should belong to the PBGC. An appeal of the May 31 ruling by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Adlai Hardin was expected. In accepting the deal, Hardin rejected claims by the PBGC that it should receive the compensation the pilots were promised if their pension is terminated. Full story at http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060608/BIZ/606080318/1001
June 10, 200619 yr From the AP, 6/10/06: No deal for Comair, attendants Associated Press Comair and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, representing its 970 flight attendants, wrapped up three days of negotiations this week without an agreement on contract concessions the airline says it needs to emerge from bankruptcy and keep operating. The latest round of negotiations between Comair and the union began Tuesday, and talks on Thursday continued late into the night. Neither side would comment on whether any progress had been made. Comair's pilots and mechanics have agreed to concessions, but the flight attendants have said the concessions proposed to them would cut much deeper into their wages, benefits and work rules. The pilots and mechanics deals are contingent on a deal's being reached with the attendants. Negotiations broke off in April. The flight attendants have given their union authority to call a strike if Erlanger-based Comair invalidates their contract and imposes new terms. Full story at http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060610/BIZ/606100322/1001/RSS04
June 13, 200619 yr From the 6/12/06 Cincinnati Business Courier: Parting the clouds at Comair For new president, not making it is not an option Cincinnati Business Courier For Don Bornhorst, it's not a question of whether Comair will survive its restructuring under Ch. 11. The question is how fast the homegrown regional airline can restructure. "We'll be successful. We all have too much at stake," said Bornhorst, 41, in a Q&A with senior staff reporter Lucy May. The 15-year Comair veteran, recently named president of the airline, said, "The restructuring will define what our success will look like." Industry experts say Bornhorst is in a good position to do just that. Bornhorst spoke with senior staff reporter Lucy May about his challenges, his priorities and his vision for Comair. Excerpts follow. Full story at http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2006/06/12/story3.html?page=1
June 14, 200619 yr From the 6/13/06 Cincinnati Post: Comair, attendants end latest sessions with no deal Regional comair and the union representing its 970 flight attendants have wrapped up three days of negotiations without an agreement on contract concessions the airline says it needs to emerge from bankruptcy and keep operating. No further talks have been scheduled although Comair "is in contact" with the union so that progress can be made in the talks, Comair spokeswoman Kate Marx said Monday. Atlanta-based Delta, parent company of Comair, and Comair itself filed for bankruptcy protection last year and soaring fuel costs have contributed to the airline's continued losses this year. The regional airline has said it needs $8.9 million in wage and other cuts from the flight attendants as part of a plan to cut $42 million in annual costs. The latest round of negotiations between Comair and the union began last Tuesday and talks ended late Thursday night, Marx said. Full story at http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060613/BIZ/606130326/1001/RSS04
June 16, 200618 yr From the AP, 6/15/06: Delta seeks another extension THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ATLANTA - Delta Air Lines Inc. asked a bankruptcy court judge Wednesday for a four-month delay to exclusively file its reorganization plan. The Atlanta-based airline has already received a six-month extension, and had been scheduled to propose the plan by July 11. An exclusivity period allows a company in bankruptcy protection to file its own plan of reorganization first, before creditors can weigh in. It wasn't clear how the new delay request might affect Delta's goal to emerge from Chapter 11 in the first half of next year. Delta said that, among other things, it wants more time to address its pension plan obligations. The airline's chief executive has said Delta plans to seek termination of its pilots' defined-benefit pension plan. The extension, if approved, would mean Delta would have until Nov. 8 to file a plan of reorganization and until Jan. 8, 2007, to solicit acceptances of the plan. The airline, which has lost more than $14 billion in the last five years, filed for bankruptcy protection in September. Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060615/BIZ01/606150330/1076/rss01
June 18, 200618 yr From the AP, 6/17/06: Pilots' pensions head for scrap Airline to file Monday for OK to dump plan THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ATLANTA - Delta Air Lines Inc. will file a request Monday to terminate its pilots' pension plan, the company's chief executive said Friday. But the nation's third-largest carrier still holds out hope a change in pension law will save other employees' retirement plans. Delta has about 700 pilots based at its Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport hub. In a letter to U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, a Georgia Republican, and other members of Congress, Delta CEO Gerald Grinstein said Delta will ask that the pilots' pension be terminated effective Sept. 2. UAL Corp.'s United Airlines, the nation's No. 2 carrier, did the same thing when it was in bankruptcy. Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060617/BIZ01/606170333/1076/rss01
June 21, 200618 yr From the 6/20/06 Enquirer: Comair wants pact voided Talks with flight attendants at standstill BY ALEXANDER COOLIDGE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER Erlanger-based Comair said Monday that it would again seek to void its flight attendants' contract in U.S. Bankruptcy Court as recent contract negotiations appear to have stalled. The latest round of discussions wrapped up earlier this month with the flight attendants providing a draft of a new contract to Comair management June 8 that would help the subsidiary of bankrupt Delta Air Lines lower its costs by an unspecified amount. In a memo to union officials representing the flight attendants, David Soaper, Comair's senior vice president of aircraft operations, said the company would again ask Bankruptcy Judge Adlai Hardin to void the labor contract. Hardin rejected a similar request in April. Soaper said the latest move comes after the company made a counteroffer delivered via telephone Wednesday. Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060620/BIZ01/606200316/1076/rss01 From the AP, 6/20/06: Delta pilots to retain part of pensions BY HARRY R. WEBER | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ATLANTA - Delta Air Lines' termination of its pilots' pension plan will sting - no more lump-sum payments - but won't be a total loss for the 6,000 pilots at the nation's third-largest carrier. The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., which would take over the plan after it is terminated, would pay the pilots a reduced benefit up to a certain limit. The airline was to notify the PBGC Monday that it intends to terminate the plan effective Sept. 2, a request that would have to be approved by a bankruptcy court judge. The notice was being sent via overnight mail, Delta spokeswoman Betsy Talton said. With compensation the company has promised the pilots upon cancellation of the pension plan and distribution of existing funds in the plan, Delta pilots who retire at the mandatory age 60 could get about $61,000 a year, a 13 percent reduction from current benefits, court papers filed by the PBGC say. Those who retire before 53 could get about $53,000, a 24 percent reduction, the court papers say. Those figures are subject to change, and a spokeswoman for the pilots union, Kelly Collins, said the union has not done its own post-termination analysis because it doesn't know how the compensation the company has promised will be distributed. The figures cited by the PBGC were provided by a Delta representative, according to the agency's May 24 court filing. The PBGC said in the same filing that it disagrees with Delta's analysis. Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060620/BIZ01/606200317/1076/rss01
June 22, 200618 yr From the AP, 6/21/06: Delta files to terminate its pilot pension plan THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ATLANTA - The government's pension insurer said Tuesday it has received Delta Air Lines Inc.'s notice of its intention to terminate its pilots' pension plan. The nation's third-largest carrier filed the notice by overnight mail and it was received by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. on Tuesday. A spokesman for the agency says financial-disclosure documents attached to the notice will not be released to the public right away because they may need to be redacted to remove confidential information. Once the pilots' pension is terminated, the PBGC will be responsible for paying out benefits to 6,000 pilots, who will receive a reduced amount compared to what they were entitled to under the airline's pension plan. The notice to the PBGC listed 13,284 fully vested active pilot participants and retirees or beneficiaries now receiving benefits. Delta is seeking to terminate the pilot plan effective Sept. 2. A bankruptcy court judge would have to approve the request. Together with compensation the company has promised the pilots upon cancellation of the pension plan and distribution of existing funds in the plan, pilots who retire at the mandatory age 60 could get about $61,000 a year, while those who retire before 53 could get about $53,000, according to a chart provided by Delta and cited in a May 24 court filing by the PBGC. Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060621/BIZ/606210319/1076/rss01
June 28, 200618 yr From the 6/27/06 Enquirer: Labor peace key for Comair 'For our own sanity, we need to have this done with' BY ALEXANDER COOLIDGE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER ERLANGER - New Comair president Don Bornhorst sees new urgency in settling the bankrupt company's labor situation because the regional airline is being shut out of new flying because of the conflict with its flight attendants. "There's no secret to why we're being excluded - we cannot bid competitively," he said. Continental shut Comair out of the running for some of its business earlier this month because the local airline still hasn't won concessions from the attendants. Two months after being ordered back to the bargaining table, Comair asked a judge late last night to consider for a second time tossing out its flight attendants' contract after multiple rounds of additional talks that have not delivered a contract. Bornhorst insisted the airline is open to further talks but said it is also running out of time as its corporate parent, Delta Air Lines, and others dangle potential new routes. Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060627/BIZ01/606270318/1076/rss01
June 28, 200618 yr From the 6/28/06 Enquirer: Comair seeks to void deal Flight attendants union disputes airline's offer BY ALEXANDER COOLIDGE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER Comair has asked a bankruptcy judge for a second time to void the regional airline's contract with its flight attendants union. The Erlanger-based subsidiary of Delta Air Lines filed the motion late Monday night, and hearings before Judge Adlai Hardin are scheduled for July 10 and 11 in White Plains, N.Y. Despite several new rounds of talks since Hardin essentially ordered both sides back to the bargaining table in April, Comair said the company and its flight attendants union remain about $1.7 million apart. Union spokeswoman Victoria Gray said the Teamsters would seek to delay the hearing. She disputed the company's math behind its latest offers, calling Comair's latest offer as harsh as ever. Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060628/BIZ01/606280340/1076/rss01
June 30, 200618 yr WOW!!! Only $15 million! From Business First of Columbus, 6/30/06: Delta narrows monthly loss Business First of Columbus - 10:38 AM EDT Friday Delta Air Lines Inc. lost $16 million last month, an improvement over April and last May, the airline said. The company reported a $140 million loss in May last year and a $27 million loss in April. Excluding one-time restruturing charges, Delta said it had an $8 million operating profit in the month. "Despite a 35 percent increase in fuel prices year over year, May's results represent our second consecutive month of profitability, excluding the impact of reorganization items," Edward Bastian, executive vice president and chief financial officer, said in a statement. At the end of May, Delta's pilots approved a new contract that will cut their pay and benefits by about $280 million annually. The approval eliminated the threat of a pilots' strike that could have had a devastating effect on the airline, which is trying to emerge from a Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. Atlanta-based Delta is the second-busiest carrier at Port Columbus International Airport. Full story at http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2006/06/26/daily32.html?from_rss=1
July 11, 200618 yr From the 7/11/06 Enquirer: Comair, union make arguments BY ALEXANDER COOLIDGE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER Bankrupt Comair and its flight attendants union presented opening arguments Monday for the first day of a two-day hearing on whether the regional carrier will be allowed to reject its labor contract. Following chief executive Don Bornhorst's Monday testimony, other Comair officials will take the stand today in Judge Adlai Hardin's courtroom in White Plains, N.Y., company officials said. Comair's previous attempt to scrap the contract with its almost 1,000 flight attendants was unsuccessful after Hardin ruled in April that Erlanger-based Comair hadn't been flexible enough in previous talks. Hardin essentially ordered both sides to resume negotiations but said he would consider another bid to reject the contract after more talks. Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060711/BIZ01/607110314/1076/rss01
July 12, 200618 yr From the 7/12/06 Enquirer: Comair, union to talk again? Observers predict he'll make no definite ruling BY ALEXANDER COOLIDGE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER This week's court showdown between Comair and its flight attendants union is expected to take the two parties back to the bargaining table. While the Erlanger-based Delta Air Lines subsidiary urges a bankruptcy court for the second time to allow it to void its contract with its flight attendants, Judge Adlai Hardin may withhold a definitive ruling to pressure both sides back into negotiations and to cut a deal, legal experts say. While Comair officials insist they are ready to continue talks, they say time is running out. Comair says it is being shut out of bidding for regional flying contracts with airlines such as Continental and Northwest because its restructuring is in limbo. The union says it also wants to talk but Comair is asking for concessions as harsh as ever. A key dispute over the value of concessions proposed by both sides extended testimony on work rules into Tuesday evening at a bankruptcy courtroom in White Plains, N.Y. The proceedings will continue Friday, union and company officials said. Full story at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060712/BIZ01/607120333/1076/rss01
July 15, 200618 yr From the 7/14/06 Cincinnati Business Courier: Delta legal team asks for $32.8M paycheck Cincinnati Business Courier - 1:42 PM EDT Friday The lawyers and consultants shepherding Delta Air Lines Inc. through its bankruptcy reorganization have asked the court for compensation of $32.8 million, mainly for work done from February through May, the Associated Press reported Friday. A hearing has been scheduled for Aug. 22 to review the requests for payment submitted by 23 different firms, according to the news story. The largest request, for more than $8.8 million, came from the New York law firm Davis, Polk and Wardwell, which is handling a major part of the bankruptcy work for the airline. If the requests are approved, payments for legal and other professional services will total $74.2 million since Delta (Pink Sheets: DALRQ) declared bankruptcy last September. Delta, headquartered in Atlanta, operates its second-largest hub from the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. Full story at http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2006/07/10/daily56.html?from_rss=1
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