Tue, Apr 15, 2008
Union Strongly Opposed To 'Ill-Advised Mega Venture'
They're not fans. Late Monday
evening, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace
Workers' (IAM) General Vice President Robert Roach, Jr. issued the
following statement in response to the proposed merger between Northwest Airlines
and Delta Air Lines:
"Airline industry consolidation will come at tremendous public
expense. The Machinists Union's Merger Committee has examined the
Northwest-Delta merger proposal, and we firmly believe this merger
is not in the best interest of passengers, employees or the
communities these airlines currently serve.
Northwest and Delta have both lobbied Congress for pension
relief. Both have also frozen their underfunded pension plans. If
this ill-advised mega venture fails, the liability for these plans
will fall on the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, and
ultimately the American taxpayer.
We will do everything legally possible to oppose any merger that
threatens our members' jobs, labor contracts, pensions, seniority,
and their right to union representation."
The union notes Northwest's IAM members are the only employees
at either airline that still have an active, secure defined benefit
pension plan, the IAM National Pension Plan. The IAM represents
12,500 Northwest Airlines Ramp Service Employees, Stores Clerks,
Customer Service Agents, Reservation Agents, Flight Simulator
Technicians and Plant Protection employees. The Machinists Union is
currently organizing Delta Air Lines' Ramp Service, Customer
Service, Reservation and Maintenance employees.
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