Say They'll Block Any Deal That Pads Executives Wallets At Workers' Expense

You probably saw this coming. In the aftermath of news Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines plan to join forces to create the world's largest airline, pilots at two competitors also rumored to be on the brink of merging -- United Airlines, and Continental Airlines -- said they would aim to block any merger between their carriers that fails to take employees into consideration.

In a joint statement by Captain Steve Wallach, Chairman, United Master Executive Council, and Captain Jay Pierce, Chairman, Continental Master Executive Council, of the Airline Pilots Association, both men said they demand to be treated 'fairly and equitably' in any merger talks on the horizon.

"For the past several years, mergers and consolidation have been part of the vernacular of the airline industry," the statement reads. "Monday's announcement of a merger involving Delta and Northwest Airlines could be just the first of a series of announced marriages between major US carriers.

"Most airline analysts believe an announcement involving United Airlines and Continental will soon follow Monday's Delta and Northwest news. The management teams of United and Continental must understand one hard fact: the pilots of our respective airlines will not allow any merger unless management meets or exceeds our demands to be treated fairly and equitably. Our concerns will be addressed before we ever agree to allow our airlines to merge.

"If a merger benefits airline executives, Wall Street financial groups and legal firms at the expense of pilots and the flying public, we will use all lawful means necessary to ensure the transaction is unsuccessful. We are not going to stand by and watch as our futures are controlled by others," the statement continues. "Pilots on both sides of a merger must be fully involved and will play a significant role in the acceptance or rejection of an attempted merger.

"We have real concerns regarding any transaction involving our airlines, and we have repeatedly asked our respective companies to acknowledge and address those concerns prior to making any merger or consolidation announcement. We will not stand idly by while the CEOs and their executives attempt to merge our airlines without regards to the long-term feasibility of the final entity.

"Let there be no mistake," the pilots conclude. "This is not about pay or benefits. This is about survival. We will fight, on every possible front, any attempt to merge our airlines at the expense of the pilots."

FMI: www.united.com, www.continental.com, www.newglobalairline.com