[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 17 (Wednesday, February 11, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H437-H438]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        UNITED AIRLINES UNFAIRLY CUTTING RETIREE HEALTH BENEFITS

  (Mr. MICHAUD asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, as cofounder of the House Labor and Working 
Families Caucus, I come to the floor today to address a serious 
injustice, United Airlines' plan to further cut the retirees benefits 
of 1,000 United retirees and their families. This is in spite of an 
agreement established between the airline and the employees when United 
entered bankruptcy.
  Two thousand five hundred flight attendants chose to retire early in 
order to preserve their retiree health benefits and agreed to sacrifice 
up to 30 percent of their well-earned pension. These loyal employees 
did so as part of a $1 billion concessionary contract to help their 
struggling employer. Now United is reneging on that deal.

[[Page H438]]

  This is underhanded, and this is wrong.
  I urge our distinguished Speaker of the House, who has a large number 
of these retirees in his district, and all my colleagues to demonstrate 
a commitment to our retirees and join in asking the CEO of United 
Airlines to do the honorable thing and keep his promise to these 
workers.

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