Delta workers flay US Airways
5 Utahns join protest in D.C. against the hostile takeover bid
Using the mantra "Keep Delta My Delta," the group lobbied lawmakers in anticipation of a hearing on airline mergers today in the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. Delta Chief Executive Officer Gerald Grinstein and US Airways Chairman and CEO Doug Parker both are scheduled to testify.
Delta, which operates a hub at Salt Lake City International Airport, has a plan to come out of bankruptcy later this year, but US Airways has put in a hostile takeover bid for Delta. Delta repeatedly has said it is not interested in the merger.
"We don't need Doug Parker, we don't want Doug Parker," said Lee Moak, chairman of Delta's Air Line Pilots Association. "We are going to emerge as Doug Parker's worst nightmare."
The crowd carried signs showing the Delta and US Airways logos in a circle with a slash through it. Moak said Delta is committed to coming out of bankruptcy as a stand-alone carrier and accused US Airways of trying to gobble up the competition.
Delta pilot Mark Saltzman of Sandy has been in Washington for the past few days visiting lawmakers offices to explain what the merger would mean. He and the other employees-turned-lobbyists come armed with a flight path map showing what the combination of the two companies would look like.
Saltzman points to the US Airways hubs that already exist in Las Vegas and Phoenix, which may make another Western hub in Salt Lake City less attractive, forcing 5,500 Delta employees out of work.
"We want to make sure they have all the facts and that the truth comes out," said Saltzman, who is the incoming chair of Council 81 of the Air Line Pilots Association. "Nobody wants this."
US Airways spokesman Phil Gee said the Salt Lake hub is not under threat if the deal goes through.
"We have reiterated that countless times that the hub would not go way," Gee said.
The bid for Delta is still active, Gee said, but there is a Feb. 1 deadline for some action, or it will be off the table.
"We understand that there are some mixed emotions from the Delta employees, but we haven't felt it was appropriate to communicate with the employees yet," Gee said. "We are still in the early stages of this."
Beyond the perceived threat of potentially losing the hub in Salt Lake City, Saltzman said there are anti-trust issues at stake. If US Airways took over Delta routes, it would create a company with a large chunk of the flying market.
Ed Thiel, the current chairman of the local pilots union, said it was "critical" for the Delta employees to be there.
"Do you want national aviation policy made by Wall Street or Congress," Thiel said, which is one of the main points he is telling Congress members.
The Delta supporters delivered a petition to senators with 104,851 signatures opposing the merger, including 5,353 from Utah.
E-mail: suzanne@desnews.com
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