Lost horizons

http://www.startribune.com/stories/535/5415154.html

(free registration or try www.bugmenot.com)

Mechanic Todd Aston expects his layoff notice from Northwest Airlines to come any day. His 4,000-square-foot house built just three years ago is for sale in Hudson, Wis., and boxes are packed and stacked in the basement. He and his wife, Dana, also a Northwest employee, have tried to explain to their three children why they must move.

"My 11-year-old has done a lot of crying," Todd said. "She is absolutely heartbroken."

The past four years have been crushing ones for employees at Northwest, and times are expected to get even worse. Executives are pushing to reach $1.1 billion in labor cuts by the end of 2005. More than 14,000 jobs have been cut, and more layoffs will come this summer as the airline grounds 30 older planes. In the background is the threat of bankruptcy. And Northwest's pension plans are underfunded by $3.8 billion, which makes workers nervous about their pension benefits.

<snip>

Northwest and other big airlines appear to be caught in a seemingly endless spiral of layoffs and financial losses of a scope almost too large to comprehend. Over the past four years, U.S. airlines have lost $32 billion -- more than the combined profits of all airlines since the advent of commercial aviation -- despite the fact that the number of people flying continues to climb. Almost one in every three employees at big U.S. airlines -- 135,000 total -- lost their jobs since August 2001. Bankrupt US Airways has terminated its pension plans, and a bankruptcy judge recently gave United Airlines approval to do the same.

...more...

that was the biggest load of bullshit ever dumped on the people of the united states...

against the citizens of the country has resulted in horrific losses.

:(

and particularly Amtrack go begging.

H-Y-P-O-C-R-A-C-Y

It's a repuke only thing.

It actually a REQUIREMENT to membership.