Delta Pilots Pension Appeal

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Time is Ticking

Gentlemen,

Gentlemen,

 

I am taking the liberty of forwarding this message to our entire ORD email list.  This is a response from Congresswoman Melissa Bean to Lou Rabe and as Lou notes, it is not an autoreply.  Bean's response indicates we are making inroads with our message to Congress.  Keep hammering away.  Bean's email address is below.  Encourage her to pursue the technical correction to H.R.4 prohibiting lump sum payments from under funded plans now instead of 2010.  Some of our representatives and senators are beginning to realize that Delta was given 17 years to fund its pension plans but still wants to dump the pilots plan on the PBGC.  They seem to be a bit ticked about this.  You don't have to be in her district to let her hear your voice.  You can call, write or email any senator or representative regardless of district or state.  Remind Durbin, Obama, Bean, Isaakson, Kennedy, Manzullo, Biggert(IL rep), and other key people listed in previous emails from Will Buergey and Wendell Lewis that the PBGC is already in financial trouble and the taxpayer is next in line to pick up the tab.  H.R.4 gave Delta a break in preserving pension plans but Delta is undermining the intent of the bill by attempting to terminate the pilots pension plan.

 

Leo Bezdek      

 

From: "Representative Melissa Bean" <RepresentativeMelissaBean@mail.house.gov>

To: <lourabe@comcast.net>

Subject: Responding to your message

Date: Thu, 16 Nov 2006 21:52:22 +0000

Dear Captain Rabe,

Thank you for contacting me about the pensions of Delta Airlines pilots. I am honored to represent you, and I appreciate your active participation in our legislative process.  Your involvement makes democracy work better by helping me more effectively represent you and Illinois' Eighth District.

In response to the growing concern over the security of Americans' retirement, both the House of Representatives and the Senate passed bills to strengthen the federal laws that govern American corporate pensions. In November 2005, the Senate passed S.1783, The Pension Security and Transparency Act of 2005, by a margin of 97 to 2. In December 2005, I joined many of my colleagues in the House in passing H.R. 2830, The Pension Reform Act of 2005, by a margin of 294 to 132.

In July 2006, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4, The Pension Reform Act of 2006, with my support by a margin of 279 to 131, which was subsequently passed by the Senate 95 to 3. This bill consists of the compromise language reconciled from the differences between S.1783 and H.R. 2830.

Among other improvements to pension law, H.R. 4 will allows airlines-including Delta-who have closed their plans to new participants but do not allow current participants to accrue additional benefits 17 years to fund its pension liability. By and large, this scenario is far more lenient than the seven years non-airline pension plan sponsors have to meet their funding liability shortfalls.

Unfortunately, as you know, despite the incentives Congress included in H.R. 4 to protect airline pensions, Delta recently announced it plans to turnover its pilots' pension plans to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC). Currently, Congress is considering a technical correction to H.R. 4. One of the changes being considered would alter the treatment of lump sum payouts for pension plans that are under funded. Please know that as Congress considers this technical correction package, I will be sure to keep your thoughts in mind.

Thank you again for contacting me about this important issue. I am proud to serve Illinois' Eighth District, and I am committed to working hard for you. Please do not hesitate to write, call, or email if I can ever help you in any way.

 

Sincerely,

Melissa L. Bean

Member of Congress

P.S. To stay informed on this and other important topics, visit my website at www.house.gov/bean to subscribe to e-news updates.

Two Letters from Retired Captain Chuck Roedema to Congress

September 23, 2006

September 23, 2006

 

Subject: Technical Correction Needed To H. R. 4 (2006 Pension Reform Bill), Section 103, 

To Remove Section titled (c) Effective Dates— (page 97).

 

Dear Senator John Cornyn,

 

An injustice has been done to one group of individuals in H. R. 4, the 2006 Pension Reform Bill, the retired pilots of Delta Air Lines. The effective date at the end of Section 103 of either (1) January 1, 2010, or (2) the termination date of the collective bargaining agreement, instead of invoking the date the Bill was signed, is causing the termination of the pensions of Delta Air Lines retired pilots. An immediate technical correction to the Bill could possibly correct this injustice.

 

There are 5800 senior citizens, retired pilots from Delta Air Lines, who, through a discriminatory process, had their pensions taken away in Bankruptcy Court. The majority of these 5800 men and women at one time were members of the U. S. military, and many served in combat in Korea, Southeast Asia/Vietnam, and in the Middle East against enemies that were foreign.

 

Today, the enemy of these retirees is their former employer, Delta Air Lines, who decided to single out only the retired pilots, the Justice Department through the bankruptcy Court, and the U. S. Congress, who passed a Pension Reform Bill with a stipulation that cost them their hard-earned pensions. This stipulation will be explained later.

 

The Bill passed in Congress and signed by the President allows a suspension of Lump Sum payments if the Pension Fund is less than 60% funded (see Section 103, page 82,

(3) Limitations On Accelerated Benefit Distributions). Deltas plan is only funded at 39%. Except, someone added a stipulation to the end of Section 103, just prior to Section 104, on page 97 (Effective Dates) that, instead of making this effective immediately, delays it until possibly January 1, 2010. This one stipulation seems to be in place for no one else except Delta Air Lines.

 

I urge you to join your colleagues in Congress and make the Technical Correction to the Pension Reform Bill and remove this discriminatory exception, thus making the Lump Sum suspension available immediately. After all, the Pension Reform Bill that passed both Houses of Congress and was signed by the President, states on the Title Page, A Bill to provide economic security for ALL Americans. Please count us 5800 amongst those Americans. This change will save our pension plan. Thank you.

 

Sincerely,

 

Charles L. Roedema

1004 Lynhurst Lane

Denton, TX 76205-8004

940-387-3220

CHUCKLR11@CHARTER.NET

MD11 International Captain (Retired-2002)

 

 

 

 

 

 

September 25, 2006

 

September 25, 2006

 

Subject: Technical Correction Requested To H. R. 4 (2006 Pension Reform Bill), Section 103, (c) Effective Dates—(page 97).

 

 

Dear Congressman Sam Johnson,

 

Under the 2006 Pension Reform Bill, Lump Sum distributions are restricted or prohibited when a pension plan is critically under funded. These restrictions are phased-in (effective date is the later of January 1, 2010, or the expiration date of the existing collectively bargaining agreement).

 

I respectfully request that you sponsor or support an immediate technical correction to the 2006 Pension Reform Bill that could possibly resolve this problem and save the Delta Air Lines pilot's pension plan.

 

The technical correction would merely be to make the restrictions on Lump Sum distributions effective immediately.  The 2006 Pension Reform Bill specifically identifies Delta and provides for a 17-year amortization of under funded pension plan liabilities. Because Delta is identified for favorable treatment under the legislation, a technical correction is appropriate.

 

The Title Page of the Pension Reform Bill states, A Bill to provide economic security for ALL Americans. The vast majority of the 5800 retired Delta pilots dedicated a portion of their lives to service in U. S. military forces. Many served in combat in Korea and Vietnam. Please remember us and support the technical correction that could save our pension plan. Thank you.

 

 Sincerely,

 

Charles L. (Chuck) Roedema

1004 Lynhurst Lane

Denton, TX 76205-8004

940-387-3220

CHUCKLR11@CHARTER.NET

MD11 International Captain (Retired-2002)

USAF Veteran/B52 Combat Veteran/Registered Voter

 

 

 

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