United announced today that they will file a Section 1113 scheduling motion with the Bankruptcy Court today for the Omnibus Hearing on November 19th. In Plain English, this means United clearly plans more pay and benefit cuts for all of us.

This may finally push the Screw-O-Meter needle into the Extreme.

• United's Demands Submitted to AFA >>

More pay and benefit cuts than we've already given up. But of course, you couldn't tell from the headline from today's NewsReal:

United to Begin Cost-Savings Process in Bankruptcy Court

What the hell does that mean? Begin? Begin? What have we been doing all this time? Living the high-life? Water skiing in the Caribbean with our stock options and bonuses? Staying at the Four Seasons in Chicago?

This cost-saving process and, you know, like just trying to get OUT of bankruptcy has been happening since even before our current 2003-2009 agreement to slash our wages and benefits the first time around.

If that is not irritating enough, then read the following sentence quoted directly from the NewsReal article:

United's goal is to reach consensual agreements quickly with each group. If that does not happen, the company will ask the Court for permission to reject the collective bargaining agreements so that the necessary changes can be implemented.

The threat above is United's Mother-of-All-Company-Threats.

You no doubt see the obvious by now:

1. The NewsReal article to all UAL employees is only three paragraphs long. They placed their clearly-worded threat in the very first paragraph. No wasting any time here.
2. For the second paragraph, they placed a time pressure threat: "attempt to agree to a schedule before then..." Including a time pressure on something tends to make people edgy. Ask any salesman.
3. And, just for kicks, they mention their plan to terminate our defined benefit plan in the third and final paragraph. Giving the people a little taste of what's to come.

And so, once again, we have more bad news.

Well, crap, go ahead and read the "proposal" they have created for us. Watch how high the Screw-O-Meter needle will rise. Based on the measly three paragraphs (that carry quite a punch, thanks NewsReal), I'm sure their benefit and paycut demands to other UAL employees are also going to be quite loving.

But do consider this, Glenn (and his "seven reports") have graciously agreed to take a 15% pay reduction. Feel better? Yeah, me neither.

Here's the entire unedited NewsReal article as published today, November 05, 2004:

United to Begin Cost-Savings Process in Bankruptcy Court

United yesterday made proposals to its unions on wage and benefit reductions and changes to work rules in order to achieve additional cost savings under Section 1113 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. United's goal is to reach consensual agreements quickly with each group. If that does not happen, the company will ask the Court for permission to reject the collective bargaining agreements so that the necessary changes can be implemented.

To that end, United will file a Section 1113 scheduling motion with the Bankruptcy Court today for the Omnibus Hearing on November 19th. We will work with the unions and others to attempt to agree to a schedule before then that will accommodate both United's urgent financial needs and the desire of all parties to maximize the time available for consensual bargaining.

United continues to believe that the termination of its defined benefit plans and replacement of them with defined contribution pension plans will be necessary. The proposals provided yesterday also include a request from the company to the unions for the right to terminate and replace these pension plans.

Stay tuned... Oh, and by the way, I'll leave you with a quote from today's Associated Press article:

"United did announce that eight senior executives, including Tilton, have agreed to 15 percent pay cuts beginning Jan. 1. That would lower Tilton's salary from $712,500 to $605,625."

Bust out the Chips and Salsa.