Airlines Corruption (AVIATION-3)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note: Not every airline is covered nor every related corruption and issue - a few are listed for a variety of reasons AMERICAN/US AIRWAYS MERGER AMERICAN AIRLINES Merger Related Information Dates: Merger and Bankruptcy Related 2013/12 --American Airlines merged with U.S. Airways 2011 Summer-- AMR President Tom Horton and U.S. Airways CEO Doug Parker were having merger talks prior to AMR’s November 2011 bankruptcy filing 2011/11--AMR’s bankruptcy filing Some Terms Bridge Agreement Laura Glading agreed to an expedited negotiations process with U.S. Airways CEO Doug Parker to reach a single-carrier contract with the newly formed airline. That agreement, initially referred to as the “Bridge Agreement,” was later called the Conditional Labor Agreement (CLA) Conditional Labor Agreement (CLA), and it outlined how the APFA would negotiate with the newly merged airline. Some Names discussed in Calling the DOJ-2015 est. below William J. Baer, Esq, Assistant Attorney General, Antitrust Division, Department of Justice John P. Cronan, Esq, Acting Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division, Department of Justice Laura Glading, APFA President Doug Parker, U.S. Airways CEO Tom Weir, U.S. Airways Treasurer Articles Calling on the DOJ 2015 est. How Collusion and Nepotism Defrauded the Flight Attendants at American Airlines and Cheated Them Out of Their Pension Contributions, Retiree Health Benefits and Profit Sharing. By Rock Saloman likely author, see below. https //callingonthedoj wordpress com/ Excerpt: Calling on William J. Baer, Esq, Assistant Attorney General, Antitrust Division, Department of Justice. I am writing you today as a flight attendant with American Airlines represented by the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) with the intent of filing a complaint. As you know, American Airlines merged with U.S. Airways last year. As part of that merger, APFA President Laura Glading agreed to an expedited negotiations process with U.S. Airways CEO Doug Parker to reach a single-carrier contract with the newly formed airline. That agreement, initially referred to as the “Bridge Agreement,” was later called the Conditional Labor Agreement (CLA), and it outlined how the APFA would negotiate with the newly merged airline….Respectfully, Rock Salomon, American Airlines Flight Attendant, Association of Professional Flight Attendants Member https //callingonthedoj wordpress com/ [Note from PF: As of 2021/02/05, this website “Calling On the DOJ” is still up on the Internet; there does not seem to be a date on the website, but it looks like the letter was written in 2012, and the website might have gone up in 2015 given the dates of the first blog responses, although it is hard to say] LA Times 2017/04/22 Confrontation 2017/04/22--http //www latimes com/business/technology/la-fi-american-airlines-confrontation- 20170422-story html Anticorruption Digest (04/28/2017) American Airlines workers were targets of alleged $17 million hearing aid scam 2017/04/28--http //anticorruptiondigest com/news-topics/american-airlines/#axzz4n5zmPqf8 UNITED AIRLINES CORRUPTION New York Times 2017/05/31 United Faces $435,000 Fine, Accused of Flying Plane 23 Times Without Inspecting Repair, F.A.A. Says. By Christine Hauser 2017/05/31--https //www nytimes com/2017/05/31/business/united-airlines-faa- fine.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FBoeing%20Company&action=click&contentCollection=busin ess&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=4&pgtype=collection The Atlantic 2015/09/08 Another Corruption Scandal in New Jersey: The CEO of United Airlines has stepped down amid a federal investigation. 2015/09/09--https //www theatlantic com/national/archive/2015/09/united-airlines-corruption- christie/404341/ Chicago Tribune 2015/09/09/Jeff Smisek's United golden parachute: At least $8.4 million. By Coroline Shropshire http //www chicagotribune com/business/ct-united-smisek-severance-0910-biz-2-20150909-story.html Defrauding America United Airlines/FAA http //www defraudingamerica com/faa_corruption html Excerpt: he problems with arrogance and corruption in the FAA air carrier operations branch were only part of the problems that Stich faced. These problems within the FAA would not have surfaced if certain key people at United Airlines had not engaged in corrupt practices that violated blocks of major federal aviation safety requirements, which they sought to cover up by falsifying government-required records. This practice resulted in a continuation of a series of airline crashes−more than all the other airlines combined. This misconduct included, for instance:Not providing crewmembers the legally required and industry accepted training for its crewmembers. Falsifying government-required records to indicate the flight training was accomplished when the training had not been done. No providing emergency evacuation training on the yearly basis and then falsifying records to falsely indicate that the training had been done. Denying government inspectors access to air safety records that are required to be made accessible to federal inspectors. Competency levels of pilots and flight engineers conducted by FAA-approved airline personnel had an anything-goes standard, which eliminated the need for additional training and saved the airline considerable money. United Airlines personnel pressurizing FAA management to suspend or transfer government inspectors who reported the dangerous and felonious problems. UAL management threatening inspectors that the airline would cause an inspector to be transferred if he didn't start pleasing the airline. http //www defraudingamerica com/faa_corruption html 2021/02/16 when checking, this website seems gone] NBC 2016/07/14 Ex-Port Authority Chair Pleads Guilty in United Airlines Probe. Jonathan Dienst and Joe Valiquette http //www nbcnewyork com/news/local/David-Samson-to-Plead-Guilty-United-Airlines-Probe-Newark- Airport-Port-Authority-386723661 html One-time Port Authority leader, Flight Newark to South Carolina, held up construction of airport hangar The former Port Authority chairman and Gov. Christie ally who resigned amid an investigation into the George Washington Bridge lane-closing scandal pleaded guilty in a separate investigation involving an airline route out of Newark Airport, officials said Thursday. David Samson pleaded guilty to a single bribery-related count for his role in having United Airlines reinstate flights between Newark and Columbia, South Carolina, between 2012 and 2014. He faces two years probation for the crime. Jamie Fox, the former head of the New Jersey Department of Transportation and a onetime lobbyist for United Airlines, was also charged with conspiracy to commit bribery. Authorities said that he worked with Samson to get the route that had been canceled in 2009 reinstated. 2016/07/14--http //www nbcnewyork com/news/local/David-Samson-to-Plead-Guilty-United-Airlines- Probe-Newark-Airport-Port-Authority-386723661 html Washington Post 2015/09/08 United Airlines chief steps down amid federal investigation. By Drew Harwell and Katie Zezima Excerpt: The resignations were linked to an investigation exploring whether the air carrier launched a money-losing flight from Newark to Columbia, S.C., to benefit the influential then-chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, who owned a vacation home near Colombia. The route, which became known as the “chairman’s flight,” became a bargaining chip in the thorny relationship between the then-struggling airline and Newark Liberty International Airport, one of its key profit centers. 2015/09/08--https //www washingtonpost com/business/economy/united-airlines-chief-to-step-down- amid-federal-investigation/2015/09/08/de44c496-566c-11e5-abe9-27d53f250b11_story html?utm_term=.2461ef21929f SOUTHWEST AIRLINES ABC News 2020/04/12 Southwest Sued Over Nursery Rhyme - Give me a break! By John Stossel http //abcnews go com/2020/GiveMeABreak/story?id=123728 Excerpt: Here's how the rhyme goes now: Eenie, meenie, minie mo. Catch a tiger by the toe. If he hollers, let him go. Eenie, meenie, minie mo. But years ago, some said not "catch a tiger by the toe," but "catch a nigger by the toe." That's why the women say they deserve money — "punitive damages." They suffered "severe emotional distress," because they were "unable to escape the airplane, which was … poisoned with racism." Please. It's true that the rhyme was once a hurtful part of America's racist past, but today few people even know about that. Even Big Bird said it on Sesame Street. The 22-year-old flight attendant said she didn't know anything about "Eenie, Meenie's" racist past — she'd just heard other staff use the rhyme to get passengers to sit. If American discrimination law means the most sensitive of us get to decide what speech is permissible, then we have all lost important freedom. Give me a break! 2020/04/12--http //abcnews go com/2020/GiveMeABreak/story?id=123728 CBS News 2008/04/03 FAA Whistleblower Says He Was Threatened. By “CBS News” http //www cbsnews com/news/faa-whistleblower-says-he-was-threatened/ A House committee reported the findings of its investigation into the Federal Aviation Agency's safety oversight Thursday and heard testimony from airline safety inspectors and the Transportation Department's inspector general. The whistleblowers who exposed maintenance and inspection problems at Southwest Airlines told Congress their jobs were threatened and their reports of noncompliance were ignored for years by their superiors.FAA inspector Douglas Peters choked up Thursday at the hearing and needed a few sips of water to tell lawmakers about how a former manager came into his office, commented on pictures of Peters' family being most important, and then said his job could be jeopardized by his actions. 2008/04/03--http //www cbsnews com/news/faa-whistleblower-says-he-was-threatened/ Dallas News 2015/12/21 Southwest Airlines agrees to pay $2.8 million to settle federal government lawsuit. By Sheryl Jean 2015/12/21--https //www dallasnews com/business/airlines/2015/12/21/southwest-airlines-agrees-to-pay-2-8- million-to-settle-federal-government-lawsuit 2016/05/16 Why pilots union sued SW Airlines to keep Boeing 737 Max grounded. By Conor Shine 2016/05/16--https //www.dallasnews com/business/airlines/2016/05/16/why-pilots-union-sued-southwest- airlines-to-keep-boeing-737-max-grounded LA Times 2016/05/03 United Airlines pays $37 million to ex-CEO who quit amid a corruption investigation. By Hugo Martin http //www latimes com/business/la-fi-united-severance-20160503-snap-story html Excerpt on SW Airlines: In other SEC filings, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines Co. reported that its chief executive, Gary Kelly, received compensation of $5.9 million in 2015, more than half of which came in the form of stock awards. 2016/05/03--http //www latimes com/business/la-fi-united-severance-20160503-snap-story html Law 360 2006/09/27 Southwest AIrlines ignored harasser: EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission). By Shannon Henson The case is EEOC v. Southwest Airlines, case number 06-5989 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Northern California. 2006/09/27--https //www law360 com/articles/10882/southwest-airlines-ignored-harasser-eeoc Top Class Actions 2017/04/17 Southwest Airlines class action says money credits cancelled without notice. By Anne Bucher 2017/04/17--https //topclassactions com/lawsuit-settlements/lawsuit-news/618620-southwest-airlines-class- action-says-money-credits-cancelled-without-notice/ SE TexasRecord 2017/02/21 SW Airlines flight attendants class action lawsuit/union, seek recall of board members. By Dee Thompson 2017/02/12--http //setexasrecord com/stories/511082963-southwest-airlines-flight-attendants-file-class- action-lawsuit-against-union-seek-recall-of-board-members Updates: 2021/10/16 editing across aviation section; 2021/02/13 some editing by deactivating links, clearing underlined links, converting article style to overall website style of presentation from the older rivergold dot net one; this page along with others in the Aviation section, were moved from rivergold dot net in the past 30 to 60 days

• Aviation-3 Links List • American/US Airways o Merger Related Information o Articles • United Airlines • Southwest Airlines