CONGRESSIONAL ACTIONS 

---Original Message-----
From: senator@feinstein. senate.gov [mailto:senator@ feinstein. senate.gov]
Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2007 11:52 AM
To: ddwolfe
Subject: U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein responding to your message

Dear Mr. Wolfe:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the pension obligations of United Airlines. I appreciate hearing from you and welcome the opportunity to respond.

As of October 26, 2005, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) has assumed responsibility for all four of United Airlines' pension plans. On February 1, 2006, after operating under Chapter 11 protection for more than three years, United Airlines emerged from bankruptcy.

I understand your concerns that although the financial outlook for United Airlines has improved, the PBGC is still responsible for the airlines' pension plans. By enforcing section 4047 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the PBGC can order a financially- capable company to restore its pension obligations. Please know that I will continue to closely monitor United Airlines' financial situation, as well as any action by the PBGC. I will keep your thoughts in mind should the Senate consider legislation to require United Airlines to restore their pension obligations.

Again, thank you for taking the time to write to me. Be assured that I believe that promises made to workers and retirees participating in defined benefit pension plans must be kept, and I will continue striving to protect the rights of workers. If you have any additional comments or questions, please do not hesitate to call my Washington , D.C. office at (202) 224-3841. Best regards.

Sincerely yours,

Dianne Feinstein
United States Senator

Further information about my position on issues of concern to California and the Nation are available at my website http://feinstein. senate.gov/ public/. You can also receive electronic e-mail updates by subscribing to my e-mail list at http://feinstein. senate.gov/ public/index. cfm?FuseAction= ENewsletterSignu p.Signup.

May 25, 2007

Subject: More on legislation re our pensions

February 3, 2007

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Last summer, a great many of you took the opportunity to write Congress and
demand attention on the pension reform legislation. You, an everyday person,
helped force an issue and made a difference in literally thousands of lives.

Today, you are urged to step forward again, Monday night a group of Senators
sent a letter to the PBGC requesting an evaluation of the possible restoration
of the US Airways pension plans. The US Airways pilots had NO idea this
actionwas taking place. It is possible that the request was only meant to
slow down the hostile takeover attempt of Delta. A cruel hoax if that is true.

Please,take the time to let your Senators and the PBGC know you want this
matter looked into ASAP.

I realize that each of you has a different set of circumstances, some have
pensions, some worked for carriers that paid their way out of restoration
liability etc..... BUT please, let us start here. Let us ALL help US Airways
and then we can ALL move on to fight another battle, perhaps it will be yours.

Winning is such an invigorating feeling....c'mon we can all use a little more vigor.

PBGC: Vincent K. Snowbarger
Interim Director
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
1200 K Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20005-4026

Thanks to all of you and please send this to all your friends, the pension you
save could ultimately be yours.

Sincerely,

Le Anne Ottmann

Senat

New Congress:

Rep. Frank Opens Door to Business

Businesses wondering how to deal with the Democrats taking charge in Congress today have a blunt offer from a top lawmaker in the majority: Support our priorities and we'll support yours.
The "grand bargain" laid out by Rep. Barney Frank represents a road map to how Democrats may strike deals to aid unionization, expand health-care coverage and find common ground on other issues, while giving businesses concessions on immigration, trade and investment.
In practice, it may be difficult for Mr. Frank either to deliver his party's side of the deal or find a partner with whom to bargain. Still, the Massachusetts Democrat's remarks may represent a guiding philosophy to how Capitol Hill's new majority will try to use popular unease over growing income inequality, flat wages and soaring executive pay as fuel for legislative priorities. Many Democrats exploited those concerns in winning November's midterm elections. (See related article.1)
"There are two outcomes possible," Mr. Frank said yesterday in a speech at the National Press Club. "Either people will join with us in solving the health-care problem, getting a humane immigration policy, good rules that welcome responsible foreign investment, going forward with trade with reasonable...environmental and labor standards, allowing people to join a union, and we will then be able to go forward in a pro-growth way, engage with the rest of the world, implement productivity-enhancing technology."
Alternatively, he said, conservatives can "continue...union busting" and leave a growing number of people without health care. "Then people should not be surprised when there is no renewal of trading authority, if you have resistance to sensible immigration policy. That's the choice that has to be made."
Mr. Frank takes over as chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, giving him formal sway over key business concerns ranging from regulation of mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and executive pay, but not big issues such as trade, taxes and health care. That means his influence may be as much philosophical as practical.
His influence "is more as a thinker than someone who has a big stick," says Andy Laperriere, a policy analyst for the brokerage firm ISI Group Inc. "In terms of who Democrats look to for someone who thinks about important economic issues, Frank is influential."
But, Mr. Laperriere said, "It's not clear how such a grand bargain can be agreed to on the business-community side. Exactly who is the business community? Thousands of major companies and hundreds of trade associations." Furthermore, he noted that some things business might agree to are anathema to Republicans.
Still, lobbyist Vin Weber said, "I would give more credence to this coming from Barney Frank than just about anybody else." Mr. Weber, a former Republican congressman from Minnesota who served with Mr. Frank, said he has credibility with liberal Democrats, "which is where the rub would come in terms of striking any kind of accommodation with the business community."
Some of Mr. Frank's proposals are largely symbolic: He plans hearings over the next two years on the causes, consequences and responses to increased inequality and weak wage growth. He also warned Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke against blaming higher wages for inflation.
More specifically, Mr. Frank wants to pass a bill allowing unions to organize workplaces when a majority of employees sign cards indicating their interest in a union. That would strip employers of the ability to call in federal regulators to oversee a secret ballot. The bill will speed unionization efforts and is a huge priority for labor groups, but it falls outside Mr. Frank's authority.
He has signaled a willingness to support renewing the president's authority to negotiate trade deals and then submit them to Congress for only an up-or-down vote, which expires this summer, but he wants those deals to contain environmental and worker protections. Trade deals, however, are under the jurisdiction of the Ways and Means Committee, headed by New York Rep. Charles Rangel.
In a telephone interview, Mr. Frank acknowledged his limitations. "What I'm trying to do is create a political climate where this sort of thing would be possible," he said.
Where his committee does have oversight, Mr. Frank said he is taking a cooperative approach. Mr. Frank said he would once again work with Donald Evans, former Commerce Secretary under President Bush and the current head of the Financial Services Forum, to pass rules governing the Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States. (The House passed legislation last year but it stalled in the Senate.) That committee has begun more tightly screening foreign purchases of U.S. companies after an uproar derailed a Dubai-based company's takeover of some U.S. ports.
Mr. Frank plans to reintroduce a bill tightening regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that died last year over administration demands that the companies limit the size of their mortgage portfolios. Mr. Frank said he also favors authorizing the Federal Housing Administration to insure pricier, and presumably safer, mortgages in higher-cost markets as a way to offset defaults by lower-income borrowers. He also will aim, as he did last year, to significantly curtail the ability of nonfinancial companies to own banks with federal deposit insurance in the event the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. doesn't do it.
Even if Mr. Frank is unable to shepherd many of his initiatives into law, he is still in a position to ensure that business priorities continue to stay bottled up in a divided congress. That, he suggested, should motivate business groups to compromise.

Dec 19, 2006

From: J. Hosking

You and all your friends need to write Roger Hall and the rest of the Board of Directors and insist that the release of liability provisions for ALPA in United's bankruptcy exit plan should be challenged in the petition for review to be filed in January of 2007 with the Supreme Court. Such provisions have not been allowed in other federal jurisdictions and solid arguments could be made against these releases being valid in our case.

Use the email addresses at the bottom of this email

Basically what this means is that ALPA is hiding behind United’s bankruptcy and all District Courts except Chicago have said that ONLY the bankrupt company is protected from liability. United has indemnified ALPA in case they are sued, it was part of the exit agreement. If the Supreme Court allows us to sue ALPA for damages (loss of your pension) then United would have to pay the bill.

FOR SOME REASON ROGER HALL DOES NOT WANT TO TAKE THIS BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT. MANY OF US THINK HE SHOULD.

If we miss this window of opportunity, the door will be closed forever as far as suing ALPA is concerned.

You should have received a copy of what I sent to the URPBPA Board.

Jim Hosking

Emails of the current URPBPA board of Directors

rdjhall@aol. com Roger Hall
Jerryt94404@ aol.com Jerry Terstiege
Bill_rutherford@ msn.com Bill Rutherford
jmkrasno@earthlink. net Jim Krasno
ecummings@emcpc. com Eugene Cummings
ddcgdillon@compuser ve.com Dennis Dillon
Former URPBPA board member
Maddoggyy@aol. com Rick Dubinsky
__._,_.___
Messages in this to

November 28, 2006

From: Dan Hanley,

4202 Lakeside Way, Newnan, Georgia 30265

To:
The Honorable Alberto R.Gonzales
United States Attorney General
U. S. Department of Justice
9500 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, D.C. 20530

The Honorable John Paul Stevens
U.S. Supreme Court Justice
Public Information Officer
Supreme Court of the United States
Washington, D.C. 20543

Senator Patrick J. Leahy
Chairman-elect Senate Judiciary Committee
433 Russell Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

Congressman John Conyers, Jr.
Chairman – House Judiciary Committee
2426 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

SUBJ: WHISTLEBLOWING UNITED PILOTS ASSOCIATION

Gentlemen,

Please forgive me for taking your valuable time in my petition to you
as a law-abiding, tax-paying former United Airlines Captain who has
landed in a most difficult legal and political quandary. I
desperately need your guidance and assistance.

As we all know, the U.S. airline industry appears to be just now
financially recovering from the devastating effects of 9/11 that was
further exacerbated by outrageously high jet fuel and "give away"
airline ticket prices. Additionally, only $1.3-billion of the
federally-guarantee d loans authorized by the $10-billion dollar
Airline Transportation Stabilization Board (ATSB) loan program was
let, in part, because applications filed by air carriers failed to
include a provision for the distress-terminatio n of defined-benefit
pension plans. This abhorrent act of "legal extortion" enabled United
Airlines to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December 2002. The other
major air carriers soon followed suit.

I have exhausted many legal and political avenues over the past
several years in my personal attempt to bring to light possible
white-collar criminal activity surrounding what appears to be the
recovery of the airline industry on the financial backs of their
employees while concurrently divesting these corporations of huge
defined-benefit pension obligations. I shouldn't have had to do this;
I've come up against a huge legal and political wall that is insulated
by the Patriot Act. My attempt to scale that wall will sadly remove
my Right of Habeas Corpus as provided by the United States
Constitution. I believe I can go no further in this process; it is
herein that I beg for assistance.

There are individuals, agencies, and organization that feel they
possess incriminating evidence of white-collar criminal activity that
implicates the federal judiciary. I hope that you are able to negate
the following assertions made to me by credible witnesses regarding
existing law involving the indictment and possible impeachment of a
member of the federal judiciary.

It has been alleged that last year when the GOP-controlled Congress
failed to pass legislation denying any citizen of the right to file
federal charges against any federal judge for any reason whatsoever,
certain Supreme Court Justices petitioned the good office of the
President of the United States for an Executive Order (which was
granted and signed in proxy by Karl Rove), that stripped anyone
(including honest U.S. citizens) of their Habeas Corpus rights for
attempting to do so. Is this so? Please tell me that this is not
true. The implication smacks of an unbridled, unchecked federal
judiciary that cannot be indicted or impeached on any grounds. We are
thus on the brink of degeneration into a fascist plutocracy vice a
democratic republic all under the deceitful guise of national security
interests.

I have attached correspondence that outlines my current dilemma for
your review. I personally do not possess evidence of judicial
corruption in the case of the United Airlines bankruptcy; there are
others who do but are precluded from litigating due to constraints
imposed by the Executive Order. The judicial system is broke. I was
an airline pilot so I can guarantee you that I am clueless as to how
to restore some semblance of U.S. government that citizens once,
perhaps delusionally, imagined existed to represent the interest of
its' citizens. I am seeking neither reputation nor remuneration, only
truth and justice; I shouldn't even have to take your time to write you.

Tragically, in light of these facts, I feel that I can no longer place
my faith and trust in the federal judiciary to seek the truth and
serve justice on white-collar criminal activity surrounding airline
bankruptcies. I am a patriot exercising my freedom of speech and
right to representation while demanding a fair and impartial justice
system. The only legal and political recourse in these matters would
be the referral of possible criminal issues to a House investigation
hopefully leading to a full Senate hearing. I have personally
petitioned Congressmen and Senators as is evidenced in the enclosed
correspondence.

Restore our faith in the federal government and the federal judiciary.
Drain the swamp; rid our federal government of the culture of
corruption. I am very sad that I even had to write this letter. I
shouldn't have had to. Don't you agree, gentlemen?

Thank you for your time. I will patiently await your response.

Very Respectfully,

Dan Hanley

Encl: Letter dated April 6, 2006 to DOJ, DOT, and DHS
Letter dated April 12, 2006 to Congressman Henry Waxman
Letter dated November 18, 2006 to Senators Reid, Durbin, and
Obama
Letter dated November 20, 2006 to District Attorney Patrick
Fitzgerald
Letter dated November 26, 2006 to Senator Carl Levin

Cc: Senator Harry Reid
Senator Carl Levin
Senator Richard Durbin
Senator Barak Obama
Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi
Congressman Henry Waxman
Congressman George Miller
Congressman Jerry Costello
U.S. District Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald
Glenn Tilton, CEO United Airlines
Jack Brace, CFO United Airlines
Paul Lovejoy, General Counsel United Airlines
Captain Mark Bathurst, Chairman, United ALPA MEC
Robert Nichols, Attorney, United ALPA MEC
Dr. Donald Hudson, ALPA National Aeromedical Consultant

Having passed their complex pension bill, Congress' interest is on re-election.

So for now maybe you'd be interested in some these other efforts. (ed)

October 28, 2006

Some Jim Hosking's letters are still here.  Scroll down to read them.

Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005

Bill Number: HR 4297
Issue: Budget, Spending and Taxes
Date: 12/08/2005
Sponsor:Rep Thomas, William M. [CA-22]

Roll Call Number: 621
Bill Passed (House)
How members voted

Official Title of Legislation:

HR 4297: To provide for reconciliation pursuant to section 201(b) of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

Project Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that reduces federal spending by $56.1 billion over five years by decreasing the amount of funds spent on Medicaid, Medicare, agriculture, employee pensions, conservation, student loans, and other projects and retains a reduced tax rate on capital gains and dividends.

Highlights:

Extends the Following Provisions by One Year:

- Containues to allow taxpayers to claim personal tax credits for disabled or dependent care, the HOPE college expenses, certain home mortgages and Life Learning Credits angainst the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) in order to decrease the number of people that will be required to pay the AMT

-Allows for deductions of state and local general sales taxes instead of state income taxes through 2007 instead of 2006

-Increases and lengthens tax credits for certain research expenses

-Extendes the opportunity tax credit as well as the credit for individuals who have been receiving public assistance for an extended period of time (welfare-to-work credit)

-Increases the age limit for eligibility for food stamp recipients from 25 to 35 years

-Extends the qualified zone academy bonds program that provides funding for school renovations, equipment and teacher training in high-need areas

-Maintains the $250 above-the-line deductions for certain out-of-pocket expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers

-Extends the availability of the Archer Medical Savings Account Program (MSA)

-Retains tax incentives for investment in the District of Columbia

-Lengthens wage tax credit for employment on Indian reservations continues to allow businesses that are located on reservations accelerated depreciation rates on their investments

Extends the Following Provisions for Multiple Years:

-Increases the expensing limits on investments of depreciable assets for small businesses

-Continues the “saver's credit” program which allows qualified individuals who invest in Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA) to receive a Federal “matching” tax credit through 2008

-Continues reduced tax rates of 15 percent and 5 percent on capital gains and dividends through 2010

-Extends through 2007 the expense allowances for environmental remediation costs (the cost of cleanup of sites where petroleum products have been released or disposed)

Miscellaneous Provisions:

-Amends charges collected by ton on vessels entering the US by reducing the weight threshold from 10,000 pounds to 6,000 pounds

-Allows an election to treat an artist's musical sales as capital gains “certain self-created musical works” when these works are sold by the artist

-Repeals the requirement that a veteran must have served before 1977, in order to receive the benefits of qualified veterans' mortgage bond programs and imposes specific dollar limitations on some states

For further status information, call the Voter's Research Hotline at 1-888-VOTE-SMART (1-888-868-3762).
Bill Number: HR 4297
Date: 2005-12-08
Sponsor: Rep Thomas, William M. [CA-22]

Bill Passed (House)

To: UAL Pilots

From: MEC Legislative Committee

United is currently engaged in a highly competitive and important effort to secure the right to fly from Washington Dulles to Beijing. Three other U.S. Airlines (American [Dallas-Beijing], Continental [Newark-Shanghai], and Northwest [Detroit-Shanghai]) are also actively campaigning to get the authority to fly from the United States to China. Only one city pair will be awarded in this round and thus it is highly important for United to achieve the Washington Dulles to Beijing award.

As United pilots, we have a strong vested interest in working to convince our elected senators and representatives, and the officials of the Department of Transportation that the Dulles to Beijing route is the most logical of the available options and that United is best positioned provide additional service to China from the United States. Rather than stating all the reasons why United should get the approval for this route in this letter, we have provided links to websites that have the information you need.

The first two links are both Company sites and will require you to log on or register to access some parts of the site. You can use the “take action” prompt on these sites to send prewritten letters to both the DOT Secretary and your elected Senators and Representatives.

The third link is to the DOT website, and allows you to read all of the filings concerning the route applications. Use the docket number as shown below in the sample letter. You can also look at the information presented under the link provided under “quick hits” on SkyNet.

United Links for the Route Application

www.capitolconnect.com/united

www.capitaltocapital.net

DOT Link for Route Application Filings

http://dms.dot.gov/search/searchFormSimple.cfm

If you prefer to use a sample letter, we have provided one to use:

The following link is provided to help you acquire the e-mail addresses of your senators and representative. All you need is your 9 digit zip code. If you only know the first 5 digits, there is a link on this site to help you as well. This site also has a spot which allows you to enter the name of your elected Representative and look at all of their office contact information.

http://www.vote-smart.org/index.htm

The Honorable _____

U.S. Senate (or House of Representatives)

Dear Senator (or Representative) _________:

RE: United Airlines Washington, DC – Beijing Application

(Docket OST-2006-25275)

I am a pilot for United Airlines and a constituent of yours. I am writing to urge you to support United’s application to start the first-ever Capital-to-Capital service between Washington, DC and Beijing, China.

United’s pilots, in addition to our other employees, have worked extremely hard and made many sacrifices over the last few years to ensure our company’s ability to continue to provide the flying public with high-quality service and flight options through our extensive domestic and international network. While we are currently bringing many of our furloughed pilots back to work, this additional route would help accelerate the process. Our proposed Capital-to-Capital service is a next critical step in our recovery’s journey. United has a long-standing commitment to air service to China, dating back to the early 1980’s, and I am convinced we have proven that we will make the best use of the limited air rights available in this market.

United’s proposal to fly non-stop from Washington, DC to Beijing would provide a critical link between the capitals of two of the most important countries in the world. Right now Washington, DC has air service to most of the major capitals of the world – except Beijing. Moreover, most of the major capitals of the world have air service to Beijing, except Washington, DC. United’s Capital-to-Capital service would provide this valuable service in advancing our nation’s trade and foreign policy interests.

United’s proposed service would not only be good for the country, it would also be beneficial to the Washington, DC region – the nation’s largest metropolitan area lacking non-stop service to China. The Washington, DC region is the nation’s fourth largest metropolitan area, and the Washington-Beijing market is three-times larger than the Dallas-Beijing market. The Washington region has the fastest-growing job market in the country, and the region has the largest high-tech employment sector. Linking this large and increasingly important local economy with China will make the best use of the new route authority opportunity.

Please contact acting U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Maria Cino and urge her to grant United the authority to fly Capital-to-Capital from Washington, DC and Beijing. It is the best choice for the country.

Sincerely,

Name

Address

Aug. 26th 2006

Missed Opportunities in the Republican Pension Bill

Congressman George Miller, Ranking Member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, has issued this summary of what he calls the "Republican Pension Bill." Why the Republican Pension Bill? Because the Democrats were not allowed to introduce any of the following points that Congressman Miller calls "Missed Opportunities. "

The Republican pension bill approved by the House today misses an important opportunity to deal with the serious and growing retirement security crisis in the U.S. Moreover, the bill will lead to benefit cuts for millions of workers. When the pension promises made by employers to workers are broken, workers have an extremely limited ability to make up the difference and achieve the same level of financial security during their golden years. They must work longer, take a part-time job, seek help from family members, rely heavily on diminishing personal savings, or give up many necessities.

Fact Sheet On Missed Opportunities In Republican Pension Bill

Friday, July 28, 2006

The Republican pension bill approved by the House today misses an important opportunity to deal with the serious and growing retirement security crisis in the U.S. Moreover, the bill will lead to benefit cuts for millions of workers. When the pension promises made by employers to workers are broken, workers have an extremely limited ability to make up the difference and achieve the same level of financial security during their golden years. They must work longer, take a part-time job, seek help from family members, rely heavily on diminishing personal savings, or give up many necessities.

The Republican pension bill . . .

. . . Misses an opportunity to encourage companies to keep offering traditional pensions to their employees

Under the House Republican bill, companies will be more likely to stop offering traditional pensions which pay a fixed annual income during retirement. That’s because the legislation triggers such severe increases in pension contributions that companies will be encouraged to exit the traditional pension system. It does not strike an appropriate balance between addressing the underfunding crisis and encouraging employers to continue offering traditional pension plans.

“We will see an unprecedented number of companies freezing their plans in 2007 because they will recognize the difficulties of the new pension regime,” said James Klein of the American Benefits Council in an article in Newsday. The American Benefits Council represents many of the major employers that offer traditional pension plans.

. . . Misses an opportunity to protect taxpayers from footing the bill for bailout of beleaguered federal pension insurance agency

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation insures the pensions of workers and retirees when their companies terminate their traditional pension plans. The PBGC is now facing a record $23 billion deficit – and could take on another $100 billion in unfunded liabilities – raising the specter of another savings-and loan-style taxpayer bailout. According to the PBGC, the House Republican bill will actually increase claims on the agency relative to what they would be under current law, thereby worsening the agency’s deficit by approximately $2 billion over the next 10 years.

. . . Misses an opportunity to prevent companies from using bankruptcy to dump workers pension plans

Recently, United Airlines abused corporate bankruptcy laws to dump its underfunded employee pension plans onto the PBGC, which lead to deep benefit cuts for 120,000 workers and retirees. Similarly, Delta Airlines is now seeking to use the bankruptcy laws as an escape from their pension commitments to their workers and would dump another $10 billion in unfunded pension liabilities onto its workers, retirees, and the PBGC. Even with these cases before us, the Republicans continue to advance a bill that would do nothing to preclude companies from abusing the bankruptcy laws to escape their pension commitments to their workers. The bill does not include provisions passed by the Senate that would address these concerns, such as anti-termination measures, including alternative funding arrangements. As a result, this bill would do nothing to address the most troubling aspects of our pension crisis today.

. . . Misses an opportunity to save pension benefits for older workers

The bill would permit companies to convert to convert to ‘cash balance’ or other hybrid pension plans without providing any protection for older workers under the conversion. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimates that older workers could lose up to half of their promised pension benefits when an employer converts a traditional pension plans to a cash balance or other hybrid plan. Over 7 million workers have been affected by such conversions.

. . . Misses an opportunity to stop companies from awarding lavish retirement compensation packages to executives at the same time they cut workers’ benefits

The bill does not treat the pension benefits of executives the same as it treats the pension benefits of rank-and-file and employees. Under the bill, executives could still award themselves lavish executive pensions even as they move to terminate pension plans for their rank-and-file employees. Under the bill, workers would be restricted from exercising certain rights regarding how they are paid their benefits but similar restrictions would not apply to executives’ benefits. Simply put, workers and executives should be treated the same, but the bill continues the Republican pattern of giving special treatment to CEOs.

. . . Misses an opportunity to protect workers’ pension assets

Current law prohibits pension investment managers from giving advice on investment products for which they have a monetary interest. The Republican bill would permit investment advisors to ferret workers into products under the plan even if the selection benefits the advisor financially at the possible expense of the workers’ retirement security. The bill would permit pension assets to be invested in hedge funds which are unregulated and extremely risky. As a result, pension funds could be invested to benefit money managers instead of retirees.

. . . Misses an opportunity to end unfair cuts to pilots’ pensions

When the PBGC takes over an underfunded plan, any worker who retires before age 65 will experience a reduction in their guaranteed benefit. But federal law requires commercial airline pilots to retire at age 60. It is unfair to force these workers to take such cuts in their earned benefits because of a law they must obey.

. . . Seizes an opportunity to increase federal budget deficit by an estimated $73 billion with more tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans

The bill would include dozens of tax deductions and credits that are not paid for. These tax breaks would disproportionately benefit the wealthiest 4 percent of American taxpayers and would add to the nation’s record debt of over $8 trillion.

Bush Signs Sweeping Revision of Pension Law
Employers Forced to Bolster Traditional Retirement Plans

Does not include United Airlines! ed.

By Peter Baker
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, August 18, 2006; D01

President Bush yesterday signed the most extensive revision of the nation's pension law in three decades as the federal government moved to shore up often-shaky private retirement programs for 44 million Americans and head off a crisis like the savings-and-loan bailout of the 1980s and 1990s.

The new law will force most private employers that provide traditional pensions to their workers to pump tens of billions of dollars more into those systems over seven years while making it easier to expand 401(k) and IRA retirement plans. But the law cuts a break to the financially troubled airline industry, where the pensions of tens of thousands of workers have been endangered.

The product of years of effort and a final round of intense negotiations, the Pension Protection Act of 2006 is one of the most significant bills to emerge from Congress in a year with particularly contentious elections. With Democrats accusing the Republican majority of running a "Do Nothing Congress," Bush and his allies were eager to showcase the bipartisan pension effort and flew lawmakers back from summer recess to stand behind him at a signing ceremony.

"Americans who spend a lifetime working hard should be confident that their pensions will be there when they retire," he said. "Members of both parties came together to pass a good bill that will improve our pension system while expanding opportunities for Americans to build their own next eggs."

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), a vociferous Bush critic, offered rare praise for the president's support of the pension legislation. "In this case, Democrats and Republicans worked together and America's workers and retirees came out the winners," he said.

But critics of the law, such as Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), called it a smokescreen, warning that some companies would face fewer requirements to fund their pensions. The Congressional Budget Office reported Wednesday that the new law would "lead to an increase in underfunding among plans that will be terminated over the next decade."

"The bill did some good things but it would have been perfect if had been more aggressive," former budget office director Douglas Holtz-Eakin said.

The new law is aimed at restoring stability to corporate pensions. More than 700 pension plans have collapsed in the past five years, and the federal insurance program that steps in, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., has gone from a $10 billion surplus to a $23 billion deficit. Altogether, private pension plans are estimated to be underfunded by $300 billion to $450 billion, and some officials feared a collapse requiring massive taxpayer bailout.

The law enacted yesterday requires companies to fully fund defined-benefit pension plans over seven years, closes loopholes allowing underfunded plans to skip payments and forces companies that underfund their plans to pay higher premiums to the pension corporation. Funding provisions of the law will not take effect for two years to provide time for a transition, and the airline industry and certain government contractors were given a break in meeting them. Airlines that have frozen their pension plans, Delta and Northwest, will have 17 years instead of seven to fully fund them, while others will get 10 years.

James Klein, president of the American Benefits Council, which represents employers, said the law is "a mixed bag," expressing concern that additional funding requirements will further prod companies to drop traditional pensions in favor of employee-financed 401(k) and IRA plans. The law encourages 401(k) and IRA plans by making permanent higher contribution limits passed in 2001. And it allows companies to automatically enroll workers in 401(k) programs, which could increase savings substantially. "This provision could wind up being the most important legacy of the legislation," said Peter R. Orszag, director of the Retirement Security Project, a Washington-based research and advocacy group.

Two little-noticed features of the law was praised by gay rights groups. Under the law, a person's retirement benefits could transfer to domestic partners or other beneficiaries such as sibling or parent. And workers could draw on retirement funds for medical or financial emergencies involving domestic partners or other beneficiaries.

The Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights group, said it was the first time federal legislation has on a broad basis treated same-sex couples similarly to married couples. "Today marks an important day for fairness under the law in America," said its president, Joe Solmonese.

The new law also contained provisions aimed at stimulating charitable donations and curbing abuses. The most significant provision will allow older taxpayers to make annual tax-free donations up to $100,000 from their IRAs to charitable causes. The provision, long sought by charities, is expected to generate $400 million in new charitable giving over the next two years, the United Way of America said.

Staff writer Jacqueline L. Salmon contributed to this report.
© 2006 The Washington Post Company

Very Important Message

August 9, 2006

To All Pension Preservation Network Members,

First, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you for taking part in the Pension Preservation Network (PPN) campaigns over the last two years. PPN has grown from a handful of frustrated people who had their pensions threatened to a large group with a common bond – pension protection.

Each of you receiving this letter has either had their pension terminated or threatened, or know someone who will. Now it is our turn to fight back!

We have learned over the last two years who has supported us and who has turned their backs on us. Together, we can further organize and reward those who helped us and campaign against those who have forsaken us.

The only way we can successfully do this is with unity and the gathering together of workers and retirees from as many industries as possible, so that we can speak with a unified voice.

I, and a team of professionals who have so generously donated their time and talents to this worthwhile cause, have spent the last four months creating a vehicle to provide timely information and foster improved communication among retired and working individuals who are involved in the fight to preserve pensions.

I am announcing to you the Pension Preservation Network’s interactive web site: (www.protectpensions.org).

A site complete with Forum and Poll taking capability. Each posted article has a link at the bottom that will take you to the appropriate PPN Forum topic. This Forum is not meant to be used as a “bitch session” – rather the exchange of ideas regarding relevant and timely pension issues.

Last week I met with Congressman George Miller (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee (responsible for all pension issues), and he is VERY supportive of PPN and our mission. Congressman Miller made it very clear to me that if he had been the Chairman of this committee we would have seen an entirely different Pension Reform Bill.

It is up to us to see that Congressman George Miller becomes the Chairman of this committee as a result of a Democrat majority being established in the House of Representatives in the November election. If George Miller can become the Chairman of this committee he will begin his work of righting the wrongs that have been committed against the retirees of this nation. With enough support from you and with the help of Dr. Teresa Ghilarducci, Professor of Economics – University of Notre Dame, we will begin a campaign to initiate User Fees on every airline ticket sold to fund a multi-employer pension plan that will restore every lost pension in the airline industry. It is proven that this User Fee system can be applied to ANY industry with failed pension plans. We cannot do this without your help.

Existing PPN members are receiving the following announcement in advance of the general public. A Press Release will be distributed on Monday, August 14 to all key media outlets nationwide. In addition, the top 50 print and broadcast media outlets will be receiving Media Kits and follow-up from PPN’s public relations team. Look for us on the news in the coming weeks!

It is my hope that you will visit PPN’s website on a regular basis, place your thoughtful comments on the Forum, and watch for our upcoming campaigns designed to truly preserve your pension. Thank you for your ongoing support and dedication to this worthwhile cause.

Please visit our new website at: www.protectpensions.org

Jim Hosking

jhosking@protectpensions.org

Founder and President

Pension Preservation Network, Inc.

 House approves pension overhaul bill.

 Saturday July 29, 12:17 am ET

 By Susan Cornwell and Donna Smith

 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The House of Representatives approved a bill on Friday to overhaul the creaking U.S. private pension system and prevent more spectacular airline pension defaults, and sent the measure to the Senate for possible action next week.

 Republican leaders want to finish the pension overhaul that has been months in the making, while pushing through a contentious estate tax cut ahead of November congressional elections in a bid to blunt Democratic electoral gains.

 To do so, they peeled $35 billion in popular tax breaks off the pension bill and combined them with a permanent rollback in estate taxes that was to be voted on in the House early Saturday. The estate tax bill also includes an increase in the minimum wage.

 The leaders' plan was for the House to pass both bills before an August recess, and for the Senate to take them up next week. But it was unclear whether the strategy would work in the Senate, where the estate tax has repeatedly been rejected.

 Senators who have spent months drafting the pension bill, and did not want the popular tax breaks taken out, were angry -- and worried that the tax breaks might now be voted down in their chamber along with the estate tax.

 "This plan throws months of work in the trash," Montana Democrat Sen. Max Baucus said.

 However, Senate Republican leadership aides suggested the pension bill may not be brought up in that chamber next week if the estate tax package did not pass first. "We'll be talking to the members about that," one aide said.

 Wyoming Republican Mike Enzi, chairman of the pension negotiating group, and other Senate negotiators were asking House negotiators to sign a deal putting popular tax breaks back in the pension bill. These include deductions for tuition costs and tax credits for companies' research and development.

 The 900-page pension bill, which the House passed 279-131, aims to close loopholes that led to underfunding of traditional employer-sponsored pensions that cover 44 million Americans. This system is underfunded by some $450 billion.

 The measure also seeks to prevent a taxpayer bailout of the federal agency insuring pensions, which has absorbed multibillion-dollar defaults from plans in the airline and steel industries.

 Most companies would have seven years to make up funding gaps in their pension plans. But airlines that have frozen their pension plans would be allowed 17 years to fund them. This was targeted at bankrupt Delta Air Lines Inc. (Other OTC:DALRQ.PK - News) and Northwest Airlines Corp. (Other OTC:NWACQ.PK - News). They had threatened to default on their pensions if they got no help, as United Airlines, a unit of UAL Corp (NASDAQ:UAUA - News) and U.S. Airways Group Inc. (NYSE:LCC - News) have done.

 Other airlines would get just 10 years to stretch out payments, a provision aimed at American Airlines, a unit of AMR Corp. (NYSE:AMR - News), and Continental Airlines Inc. (NYSE:CAL - News) But the disparity between the airlines led to charges of favoritism.

 During debate, Rep. Sam Johnson, a Texas Republican, said Northwest and Delta were getting relief "for having run their pension plans into the ground," while American and Continental were being "punished" for managing their pension plans better.

 The bill also gives large defense contractors a three-year delay before the stricter funding rules kick in for them.

 The bill makes it easier for mutual fund companies to advise workers on investments for 401(k) retirement savings plans and tax-deferred Individual Retirement Accounts. It also encourages automatic enrollment in 401(k)s.

 It gives legal status going forward to cash balance plans, a hybrid kind of pension which gained notoriety in 2003 when a federal court said IBM's (NYSE:IBM - News) plan was age discriminatory. There is a provision making it easier for hed

UPDATE 2-US pension bill talks break up without deal
Tue Jul 25, 2006 3:57 PM ET

(New story with breakup of meeting, airline, tax issues)
By Susan Cornwell

WASHINGTON, July 25 (Reuters) - Haggling over relief to airlines and other issues kept U.S. lawmakers from reaching agreement on Tuesday as they stepped up their efforts to get a bill to overhaul private
pensions before August.

U.S. House Majority Leader John Boehner, speaking before a meeting of key House and Senate negotiators, said he hoped a deal could be struck on Tuesday. The House begins a month-long recess at week's end.

But after a one-hour meeting, other negotiators said there was still no deal on the rewrite of pension funding rules. They said there could still be another meeting on Tuesday.

"We're close but we haven't got the language on a number of different provisions," said Sen. Edward Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat. "And many of us are not going to (agree) until we have the specific language."

Under the proposed bill most companies will have seven years to close funding gaps in traditional pension plans.

But bankrupt carriers Delta Air Lines Inc <DALRQ.PK> and Northwest Airlines Corp <NWACQ.PK> want 20 additional years to fully fund their plans, which carry substantial liabilities. The two airlines have
warned they may default on pensions of thousands of workers if they do not get the help by August.

American Airlines, a unit of AMR Corp. <AMR.N> and Continental Airlines <CAL.N> also want relief. They are not in bankruptcy but oppose a bigger break for Delta and Northwest.

Some senators on the House-Senate conference committee said the provision granting airlines more time to fund pensions is virtually set, but the details were blocking agreement.

"It's reconcilable but it is not reconciled," said Sen. Johnny Isakson, a Georgia Republican concerned about Delta Air Lines, which is based in his state. "We're down to some very small details."

Sen. Trent Lott, a Mississippi Republican also working with the carriers, said he was losing patience. "If they don't get it right there won't be (an agreement) because I won't sign it," Lott said.
"There are a couple of areas we're trying to clarify and frankly I'm tired of trying to clarify it."

Boehner, an Ohio Republican, said the aim of the overall bill was to protect workers' pensions and prevent a taxpayer bailout of the agency that insures them.

There has been massive underfunding of employer-sponsored pensions, which cover 44 million Americans. The insurance program run by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation has a $22.8 billion deficit.

One possible hurdle to a pension bill agreement fell earlier when Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said he would not try to add contentious estate tax cuts to the pension bill. But the fate of other tax provisions was up in the air.

Senate aides said lawmakers were considering scrapping a plan to graft certain tax breaks onto the pension bill, and might move them instead as separate legislation in September along with the long-term rollback
of the estate tax.

The tax provisions being considered would extend for at least a year expired tax breaks for such things as research and development, college tuition and state sales taxes.

Rep. Howard McKeon, a California Republican, said lawmakers were closing in on a decision on unspecified relief for large defense contractors. "We're almost there," he said.

Other outstanding issues included Boehner's own proposal to make it easier for mutual fund companies to advise workers on investment choices for tax-deferred 401(k) retirement savings plans sponsored by employers, and private savings plans known as Individual Retirement Accounts.

Lawmakers also were trying to craft wording to clarify the legal status of cash-balance plans, which combine elements of defined benefit and 401(k)s.

(Additional reporting by Donna Smith and John Crawley)

To ALL Pension Preservation Network Members,

I have received word that the Miller Motion to Instruct passed by a wide margin, 281 to 139.

The Pension Preservation Network was thanked by Congressman Miller’s staff for our help getting this important motion passed. Thank you to all who participated.

I am enclosing the vote tally on Miller’s motion. You can clearly see those who have once again voted against us in the House of Representatives. Remember, every one of these Congressmen is up for re-election on November 7, 2006. You now have a very clear picture of who our friends are and who have once again turned their back on us.

I highly recommend that you once again call and fax your Congressman. If your Congressman voted FOR this motion you should thank him for his support and let him know that you will continue to support him. If your Congressman voted Nay on this issue, ask his staff why he did not support you. You know very well that the reason is they are supporting the corporations and the money the corporations throw at them rather than supporting voters like you. It would be interesting to hear their reasoning and justification of voting against this motion.

It is time for us all to pull together and change the face of Congress in November. Please do what you can to support those in the Yeas chart and see that those in the Nays chart are not re-elected. You could not have a clearer picture of who supports you and who does not.

Jim Hosking

Pension Preservation Network, Inc.

j.hosking@verizon.net

July 23, 2006

To All Pension Preservation Network Members,

There will be an important vote on pension issues on the House floor Monday, July 24. Congressman George Miller (D-CA) has introduced a Motion to Instruct on HR 2830 which is scheduled to be voted on late in session on Monday.

Miller’s Motion to Instruct the conferees supports specific pieces of the bipartisan Senate compromise pension bill language that protects older workers, including airline pilots by:

1. Maintaining age discrimination protections for older workers and insisting on Senate provisions that protect workers' pensions in conversions of traditional pension plans to cash balance pension plans.

2. Prohibiting discrimination against older workers by the practice of offsetting previously earned pension benefits against new benefits under the plan, also known as "wearaway" of older worker benefits.

3. Ensuring that airline pilots receive the full PBGC guarantee of benefits when their pension plan is terminated, rather than facing unfair reductions due to the FAA's age-60 mandatory retirement requirement. Currently, the PBGC treats age 65 as the normal retirement age for all workers, and workers who retire earlier than age 65 see reductions in their maximum PBGC benefit. Yet federal law requires commercial airline pilots to retire at age 60. The PBGC should treat age 60 as the normal retirement age for pilots and adjust benefit guarantees accordingly.

Congressman Miller is working very hard to keep these provisions in the final pension bill and deserves our support. Many retirees and future retirees will be affected by this new legislation when passed.

The Pension Preservation Network (PPN) strives to see that traditional pensions are preserved in our country and every vote is critical. Many people are not concerned unless they directly benefit by result of these votes; however, each pension issue lost makes the next pension issue more vulnerable. It is up to us to do what we can to reverse the trend of pension terminations and to do what we can to see that pensions already terminated are restored.

I am asking for each one of you to Fax and phone both your Congressman’s District Office and his Washington DC office as early as you can Monday morning and ask your Congressman to vote FOR the MILLER MOTION TO INSTRUCT on HR2830.

This Motion to Instruct if passed is not binding; the House members of the Conference Committee could choose to ignore the will of the majority. If that proves to be the case PPN is prepared to send to you a list of those who voted against you. Remember, every one of these Congressmen is up for re-election on November 7, 2006. PPN strongly believes that we should support those who have supported us in our efforts to preserve our pensions and campaign against those who have turned their backs on us.

See Congressman Miller’s impassioned speech as he presents this Motion on the House floor last Thursday saying, “At Enron we called those people criminals, here we call them legislators” at:

http://www.crooksandliars.com/posts/2006/07/20/miller-we-called-those-people-criminals-here-we-call-them-legislators/#more-9091

Our strength is through our numbers; please, let us all participate to the best of our ability.

Jim Hosking

Pension Preservation Network, Inc.

j.hosking@verizon.net

UPDATE 1-US Senate panel opposes airline investment change
Thu Jul 20, 2006 06:09 PM ET
(Adds comment on GM, Continental opposition)
By John Crawley

WASHINGTON, July 20 (Reuters) - A Senate committee voted on Thursday to
temporarily block a Bush administration proposal to ease restrictions on
foreign investment in U.S. airlines.

The one-year prohibition on changing the restriction was placed in a
spending bill for the Transportation Department and other agencies that
is now headed for full Senate consideration.

The House of Representatives approved a similar limitation last month,
meaning it will be harder for congressional proponents of relaxed
foreign investment to prevail as the legislation moves forward.

The administration says it can push ahead without congressional consent
and plans to do next month before lawmakers can act to stop it.

Administration officials want to alter the regulation that prevents
overseas investors from influencing domestic airline operations,
including pricing, scheduling and fleet planning.

The administration does not want to change the provision in the
regulation limiting foreign equity at 25 percent voting stock.

Supporters of preserving the measure say changing it could undermine the
role U.S. airlines play in military airlift support during wartime and
other emergencies.

Administration officials have said military planners are comfortable
with the change and believe the provision, if enacted, could spur new
investment in struggling domestic airlines and introduce more competition.

Easing the investment restriction is also crucial to European Union
acceptance of an agreement with the United States to further open up
transatlantic air travel, especially to London's Heathrow airport.

An "Open Skies" agreement with Europe would boost competition and help
consumers by giving them more travel options and possibly lower fares,
the administration and other proponents contend.

Labor unions are strongly opposed. They fear any influence of overseas
investors could weaken their position and cost jobs.

Others, including Sen. Christopher Bond, a Missouri Republican, said the
provision sends mixed signals about investment policy regarding big
companies important to the U.S. economy.

He singled out General Motors Corp.'s (GM.N: Quote, Profile, Research)
potential interest in an alliance with Renault SA (RENA.PA: Quote,
Profile, Research) and Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. (7201.T: Quote, Profile,
Research) to help it through restructuring as evidence that American
business is open to foreign investment.

United Airlines (UAUA.O: Quote, Profile, Research) , which emerged from
bankruptcy this year and has extensive international operations,
supports easing the investment regulation.

Continental Airlines (CAL.N: Quote, Profile, Research) does not support
the change because the carrier opposes the "Open Skies" deal as written.
Continental says there is no guarantee in the treaty that U.S. airlines
will get suitable access to London Heathrow, a lucrative destination to
business travelers. Continental cannot fly there directly now.

© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.

Because of the Actions of Congress  All Pension Plans Are in Jeopardy

Please Read and Participate

July 19, 2006

To All Pension Preservation Network Members,

Today the Wall Street Journal published an article, “Congress Nears a Pension Bill, As Airlines Seem to Get Relief” (page A2).

This article states that Congress may provide relief for Northwest and Delta Airlines by granting them 20 years to fully fund their pension plans.

How can Congress save the pensions of one segment of the airline industry without saving all the pensions, including USAir and United, solely based on the timing of the respective bankruptcies?

It has been the inaction of Congress, lead by the Republican majority, that has caused this seemingly unfair and discriminatory potential legislation.

Congress was aware of the USAir and United bankruptcies and was asked to take action to save their pension plans with similar pension saving legislation. All attempts at initiating legislation by Congressman George Miller, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, were consistently blocked by the Republican leadership.

This may be our last chance to influence this pending bill. Action must be taken immediately. I am asking everyone to help. The Committee says they will be working on this for the next few days and hope to have a final bill by the August Congressional recess.

I am not asking that Congress not grant Northwest and Delta the relief they need to fully fund and save their pensions. What I am asking you to ask the members of the Conference Committee is why are they taking action now to save Northwest and Delta’s pensions when they turned their backs on USAir and United?

All airline employees and retirees MUST be treated equally and fairly. The 20 year extension the Committee is about to approve should be MANDATORY, not voluntary, and it should apply to ALL airlines.

I know most of you have written before and recently, but this may be the most important letter to date in our continuing campaign.

Take the time to write and call ALL members of the Conference Committee. If we do not write and call, the Committee will only assume we do not care.

Jim Hosking

Pension Preservation Network, Inc.

July 13, 2006

Dear Pension Preservation Network Members,

The Conference Committee on Pension Reform, lead by the Republican majority, are once again using the power of the majority to exclude the exchange of ideas in the Conference which is supposed to be meeting to resolve the differences between the House and Senate versions of the pension reform bills. However, the Republicans are refusing to allow the Democrats to participate in these discussions.

You and your needs are not being represented.

It appears that the Republicans want to negotiate amongst themselves until they are satisfied with the final bill then “invite” the Democrats to the Conference to show them what is in the final bill.

The latest news shows the Republican spin machine beginning to leak out the facts that the airline provisions and the Akaka amendment probably will not survive the Conference. Once again the Republicans are backing the corporations doing what they can to end define benefit plans in this country.

Congressman George Miller (D-CA), ranking member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, stated the following in his press release of June 16, 2006

“When US Airways terminated its pension plan, this Congress failed to act. When United Airlines terminated its pension plans, the largest dump of workers’ pensions in history, this Congress failed to act. The Republicans have fiddled while Rome burns. Now, even more American workers are paying the price.

“For three months and running, pension reform bills have been in conference between the House and Senate. Rather than engaging all conferees, the Republican leadership has chosen to lock out House Democrats from conference meetings. Under this arrangement, the Republican leadership has managed to make little, if any, progress in resolving differences between the bills. In the meantime, the retirement security of millions of Americans remains threatened.”

Rep. Miller added:

“To succeed, the pension conference must be opened to all conferees, regardless of party. Democrats want to ensure that pension reform is done right. We call on the Republican leadership to open the conference to Democrats, so this important work can get done.”

Once again the Republicans, who have in the past unanimously voted against us, are now determining what is best for the corporations and the bankers of America rather than the citizens they were elected to represent.

I encourage everyone receiving this letter to write to the members of the Conference Committee immediately stating your disgust in not allowing the Democrats to attend the meetings that are deciding the future of YOUR pension benefits.

The Republicans are not a super-majority in the House and Senate, they hold control only by a slim margin. The actions of the Republicans in not allowing the Democrats to even participate in this conference are dictatorial and not the way our government was designed to work.

We can change this.

I would like to once again mention that on November 7, 2006, every Congressman and one third of the Senators will be up for re-election. It is up to us to vote for those who have supported us in our pension fight and campaign against those who have turned their backs on us. Those of you who have taken part in these campaigns to save Defined Benefit pension plans know who in your District has supported you and who has not.

Jim Hosking

Pension Preservation Network, Inc.

j.hosking@verizon.net

May 15, 2006

Dear Pension Preservation Network,

On Friday, May 5, Congressman John Kline made a public statement to the Associated Press that the new contract ratified by the Northwest Airline pilots will increase the prospects of legislation to help save the carrier’s pension plans.

Rep. Kline is a member of the Conference Committee on pension reform legislation, a Congressman from Minnesota, and up for re-election in November along with every other Congressmen in the country.

Rep. Kline and apparently the majority of the members of the Conference Committee feel that it is OK to turn their backs on the retirees and employees of United Airlines, Delta and USAir based solely on the timing of their respective bankruptcies.

Are the retirees and employees of Northwest more deserving than those of United, Delta and USAir?

We must all write immediately to all the members of the Conference Committee and show them your disgust of such treatment.

· Ask them how they can justify this.

· Ask them why they allowed United Airlines to dump their pension liability on to the already in deficit PBGC then allow Glenn Tilton to reward himself with over $64 million in bonuses for a job well done.

· Ask them why they are favoring the corporations over the retirees and employees.

· Tell them that ANY PENSION REFORM LEGISLATION MUST INCLUDE UNITED AIRLINES, DELTA AND USAIR.

· Ask them how they can favor Northwest Airlines retirees over those at United, Delta and USAir.

Please write a letter immediately and fax it to each member of the Conference Committee.

Jim Hosking

Pension Preservation Network

j.hosking@verizon.net

April 19, 2006

To the Pension Preservation Network,

In recent weeks the White House has been in turmoil, it doesn’t take an astute political observer to know that President Bush and the Republican Party are in trouble and the November elections may be at risk for the Republicans.

Today I came across some information that did not come from my normal sources but sources that I believe are reliable.

I learned today that President Bush is taking hand written letters concerning the pension problems at United Airlines.

I have been told that President Bush is “extremely upset” at the PBGC and the way ERISA laws have been by-passed by United Airlines. As you know, Bradley Belt, Chairman of the PBGC, has resigned effective May 1. It is fairly common knowledge that President Bush and Bradley Belt were not getting along.

Here is what I am asking you to do. Each of us should write a HAND WRITTEN letter to President George Bush. These letters must be respectful in nature for he has the reputation of letting disrespectful letters sway his opinions in negative ways. If you can not write a respectful letter simply stating the facts and how you have been impacted by the termination of your pension you are better off not writing a letter.

My source says they are looking for personal information that they can pull quotes from, they want to know specifically what your losses have been, what your pension income was before and after the PBGC takeover. They want to know the hard luck stories, how you played by the rules and then your private pension plan was terminated while the executives are making millions after just a few years at United.

Be sure to ask for what you want; that the pensions at United Airlines be restored.

I have also been told these letters should be mailed First Class and that the mail currently going to the White House is not taking much longer than it normally would require without the added security measures.

These letters can not be form letters; therefore, I am not enclosing a sample letter. Please use points from the Talking Points listed below, pick points most important to you and compose a letter around these points.

This is your opportunity to speak directly to the President, pour your hearts out to him. Let President Bush know that you have been treated in a way that is un-American. Respectively let him know how you have lost faith in your government for allowing the United Airlines executives to successfully skirt the ERISA laws then reward themselves with bonus after bonus while your promised pension was being terminated.

The sooner you can write these letters and get them in the mail the sooner President Bush will be reading them. There seems to be things happening behind the scenes that may help the employees and retirees of United Airlines, please take part in this campaign.

Jim Hosking

Pension Preservation Network

j.hosking@verizon.net

April 9, 2006

To the Pension Preservation Network:

Congressman Miller has released two statements this last week concerning our pension issues in his continuing fight to save the pensions at United Airlines.

These statements can be found on the Education and the Workforce Committee Web site at: http://www.house.gov/georgemiller/

Congressman Miller’s April 5 statement directly concerns the pensions at United Airlines:

“United Airlines exploited weaknesses in our nation’s bankruptcy and pension laws in order to dump its employee pension plans onto the federal government,” said Miller, the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee. “As a result, the pension benefits that United’s employees earned and were promised were cut. Dumping pension plans should be a last resort for companies in serious financial distress – not just another way for them to cut costs.”

Congressman Miller proposed a motion before the House last week, which passed, instructing the House negotiators at the Conference Committee to agree to the Senate provisions that would protect the pension benefits of older workers when their companies switch to cash balance plans. Congressman Miller’s news release of April 6 stated:

“Pensions are not a gift from employers. Workers earn their pensions, and they should not see their retirement nest eggs devastated at the whims of their employers.”

March 19, 2005

To All Pension Preservation Network Members,

The Conference Committee on HR2830 is in session. Currently, neither the House nor the Senate versions of the pension reform legislation include provisions to include United Airlines. The language in these two bills applies only to those companies that have not yet terminated their plans.

It is widely believed that if United Airlines is not included in the final pension reform bill the Conference is now crafting, that all the pensions in the airline industry will be terminated. It is imperative that employees and retirees of ALL airlines join in this battle or their own pensions will be at increased risk.

The Conference Committee has been meeting for only one week and is expected to meet for the next several weeks, please do not assume that it is too late to contact the Conference. We must continue to communicate with faxes and phone calls keeping up the political heat.

Even if you have just written the Conference Committee we need you to compose a new letter and fax it as soon as possible to each member of the Conference Committee and to your own Congressman and Senators. We need each member of this list to then follow up these faxes with phone calls to the same offices. We are looking for the maximum quantity of letters and phone calls; our stack must become very high and their phones need to be ringing constantly.

Each member of this list needs to contact and forward this message to employees and retirees of other airlines.

I have received emails from list members who have included replies they have received from their Congressmen attempting to indicate that the Congressman is supporting the inclusion of United Airlines in the final pension bill. HOWEVER, a disturbing number of these replies written by Congressional staff state, “they are supporting the inclusion of the Senate provisions which will include United Airlines.” THIS IS INCORRECT. THE SENATE BILL DOES NOT INCLUDE UNITED AIRLINES.

This is probably staff-level confusion, they see “airline worker” and think the “airlines” provision is simply what the airline worker is after.

If you receive a message from your Congressman or Senator stating that provisions in the Senate portion of the bill include United Airlines they are ill informed. When a response like this is received, simply write back:

Regardless of what is done on the current airline provision, Congress needs to add language to the Conference that will give United Airlines employees and retirees a chance to challenge the unfair terminations and have United utilize alternatives to termination.

Congressman Miller and his allies on the Conference Committee are attempting to include United Airlines in the final pension bill for they realize to not do so will cause a pension disaster in the airline industry. They need and are asking for our help. Political heat needs to be applied to the Conference Committee to include United Airlines giving the employees and retirees a chance to save their pensions using alternatives to termination.

Please make this your highest priority. Your pension was supposed to be for the rest of your life and it is worth fighting for. We ARE making a difference, but we can not rest. Please fax another round of letters and encourage your friends, family, and neighbors to do the same. Ask them if you can write a letter on their behalf, then do it.

The pension you save may be your own!

Jim Hosking

Pension Preservation Network

j.hosking@verizon.net

HOUSE DEMOCRATS WIN VOTE TO HELP PROTECT AIRLINE WORKERS’ PENSIONS

March 9, 2006

WASHINGTON, D.C. – By a vote of 265 to 158, the House today approved a Democratic motion intended to help protect the pension benefits of workers in the airline industry.

The House and Senate are preparing to meet in conference to hammer out their differences on separate pension bills passed last year. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the House Committee on Education and the workforce, offered the motion today. It instructs the House negotiators to accept provisions in the Senate bill aimed at protecting airlines workers.

“Once again, a majority of the House of Representatives has sent a strong message to the Republican leadership that it’s time for Congress to stop ignoring the concerns of American workers,” said Miller. “Airlines that have slid into financial trouble because of 9/11 and high gas prices ought to get extra time to make good on the pension promises they make to their employees. This is just commonsense, and today, a majority of the House made a clear statement that it should also be the law.”

Over the last few years, both US Airways and United Airlines entered into bankruptcy and dumped their employee pension plans onto the federal government, leading to cuts in workers’ promised pension benefits. Other airlines could follow suit. With their motion today, Democrats sought to protect the pension benefits of workers in the airline industry in two ways:

Airlines that freeze their pension plans (meaning those plans may no longer accrue new liabilities) would be given extra time – up to 20 years – to fully fund their employee pension plans. This would help ensure that the pension promises made to employees by American Airlines, Delta, Northwest, and Continental airlines would be kept.

The Federal Aviation Administration requires commercial airline pilots to retire at age 60. But workers whose pensions are dumped onto the federal government receive benefit cuts if they are under the age of 65. Today’s motion would have stopped benefit cuts for pilots who forced by federal regulations to retire at age 60. This would apply to all pilots, including those at United Airlines.

Aside from seeking to help airline employees, the Democratic motion also contains provisions aimed at helping Americans save more for their retirement and ensuring that companies that sponsor financially healthy pension plans are not encouraged to terminate their plans.

To the Pension Preservation Network:

March 10, 2006

We are on a ROLL!

The United Retired Pilots Benefit Protection Association (URPBPA) recently had a court victory overturning the judge in the United Airlines bankruptcy case which has restored the pensions of the United pilots. This decision has the potential to set a precedent that could very well save the pensions of many labor groups across the country and may stop this incessant march into bankruptcy court to terminate pensions. As you know, what United did in bankruptcy court would have been illegal outside of bankruptcy, now we have a District Court Judge saying it was not in the jurisdiction of the bankruptcy court to terminate the pensions.

Today we had a major victory in the House of Representatives.

Congressman George Miller (D-CA), the retired person’s best friend, today submitted a Motion to Instruct to the full House. This motion if passed would instruct the Conference Committee to include the Akaka Amendment in the final pension reform legislation. Procedurally Congressman Miller was only able to include in his motion items that were already in either the House or the Senate versions of pension reform legislation previously passed, he could not introduce any new items such as “Save the pensions at United Airlines.”

This Motion to Instruct PASSED with a margin of 100 votes in a highly bi-partisan vote. This sends a strong message to the Conference Committee that Congress should include the Akaka Amendment in the final pension reform legislation, but it may be signaling more than that.

I strongly believe that each Congressman and Senator believes what was done at United Airlines was wrong; however, very few are willing to risk their political capital on such an issue unless they are assured it will be a popular issue and will pass.

It will take leadership like we have in Congressman Miller to gather support for such an initiative. Each of us can help Congressman Miller by faxing and calling our Congressman’s and Senator’s offices once again asking that they contact the Conference Committee members and SPECIFICALLY request that provisions to save the pensions at United Airlines be included in the final pension reform legislation.

Your Congressman and your Senators must know that there is widespread support for saving the United Airlines’ pensions or they will not risk their political capital to help us. It is imperative that each of you take a few minutes to do this, then contact your friends and family and ask them to join you in this campaign.

Our position has not changed. The lawmakers need to know that if United Airlines is not included in the final pension reform legislation they will be creating a competitive imbalance which would assist Glenn Tilton, Jake Brace and the rest of the United executives to carry out their master plan. If you do not take action, you too will be assisting Glenn Tilton, you will be doing exactly what he wants you to do and that is nothing.

Today I received a letter from Senator Joseph Lieberman politely telling me that he appreciated knowing my opinions but regrettably he could not specifically address my concerns since I am not a Connecticut resident. HOWEVER, Senator Leiberman said, “I value having the benefit of your thoughtful concerns, since I do receive detailed weekly reports from my staff providing a sampling of comments from across the country on timely issues before Congress.” THIS IS WHY EVERY LETTER COUNTS WHETHER YOU ARE A CONSTITUENT OR NOT.

I believe we are witnessing a changing of the tide both in Congress and the courts on our issues. Enough is enough, please take part in this campaign and let your thoughts and feelings be known.

Jim Hosking

Pension Preservation Network

j.hosking@verizon.net