Pensions Threatened at American Airlines

Around 130,000 American Airlines retirees will have their pensions cancelled if American Airlines management gets their way in bankruptcy court. The Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation (PBGC) has entered the legal proceedings to try to stop them. Management says that most of the pensions will be OK after they dump them on the PBGC, but millions of American retirees have already found out that the PBGC only pays what they pay, not what the workers are entitled to as the pension part of their earned income! Also, the PBGC has financial problems of its own after years of allowing corporations to under-pay their responsibilities.

On February 14, the employees, the retirees, and many of their friends joined in a rousing protest picket line at Terminal D inside the DFW Airport. The American Professional Flight Attendants originally called the action. The local and state AFL-CIO both put out the call for solidarity. The response was good. Both the American Pilots Association and the Transport Workers Union turned out. At least five unrelated unions and top AFL-CIO leaders were represented in the picket lines.

One of the chants was, "They got no soul, they got no feeling, taking our pensions is just stealing!" The roar of the crowd and the enthusiasm of the picketers was amazing! American Airlines employees, the retirees, and their many friends are fighting back!