首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
Despite ongoing negotiations with its unions, United Airlines has told the bankruptcy court that the "likely result" will be a d
Despite ongoing negotiations with its unions, United Airlines has told the bankruptcy court that the "likely result" will be a d
admin
2011-05-29
43
问题
Despite ongoing negotiations with its unions, United Airlines has told the bankruptcy court that the "likely result" will be a decision to terminate all of its pension plans.
That would precipitate the biggest pension default in history, more than twice the size of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation default in 2002. The move is expected to destabilize the already struggling airline industry, prompting other old-line carriers like Delta to eventually follow suit to maintain competitiveness.
It would also put additional pressure on the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), the federal agency that insures traditional pensions in case companies go belly up. It’s already facing more than a $9 billion shortfall. A default by United would saddle it with an additional $ 8.4 billion in unfunded obligations. If other airlines follow, the PBGC may have to go to Congress and plead for a bailout that some experts say would be bigger than the Savings and Loan debacle of the 1980s.
More broadly, what all this means is that retirement for US workers just isn’t what it used to be. Forget the gold watch and reliable pension check after 30 years of service. The impact of globalization and competition from low-wage companies that don’t provide benefits has shifted the onus of retirement security from larger firms onto individuals.
Twenty years ago, 40 percent of American workers were covered by traditional pensions known as defined-benefit plans. Today that number’s dropped to 20 percent. As the Bethlehem Steel and United examples show, even that 20 percent may not be able to count on what they’ve been promised. Currently, about 75 percent of those corporate plazas are underfunded. "There are numerous threats to retirement in the future," says Brad Belt, executive director of the PBGC. "So it’s incumbent on individuals to be well informed, prudent about their investments, and to save accordingly."
To get a sense of the impact of the pension crisis on individuals, look at what United employees can expect. Pilots, who by law must retire at 60, could see their retirement income cut by 75 percent.
Betty, who asked that her name not be used, has been flying for United for 26 years. She was expecting to retire with $140,000 a year. After the recent round of give-backs, that was cut to $90,000. But if United defaults as expected, she’d receive only $28,000 from the PBGC. If she waits until 65 to start collecting, she could be eligible for as much $44,500 a year.
Either way, once pilots are forced to leave the cockpit at 60, most will probably look for another job rather than lounge on the golf course. Betty has already started a mediation business on the side. "All of the benefits that I’ d been promised during those 26 years have been erased by corporate American greed," she says. "And yet I can see the big picture. I’ve said for three years that our pensions are history. No matter how many promises, they make us, if the money isn’t there, it isn’t there."
For the pilots union, which negotiated the pension benefits over the years, often giving up wage increases for better retirement packages, the current situation is infuriating. They see pensions as benefits that are earned, like employee paychecks, not a bonus to be given as long as a company can afford it. "It seems immoral that just because they happen to be in a legal situation, they can walk away from those obligations, "says Steve Derebey, spokesman for Air Line Pilots Association." Why this isn’t a burning, blazing campaign issue is beyond me."
Which of the following conclusions is not compatible with the main ideas of the article?
选项
A、The trouble that the airline industry faces is due to the impact of globalization and competition from low-wage companies.
B、Retirement for US workers just is not what it used to be.
C、The dispute over United’s pension has become a burning, blazing campaign is-sue.
D、There are numerous threats to retirement in the future.
答案
C
解析
看最后一段,机师工会对目前的情况十分恼火。在历年的谈判中,工会往往放弃提薪的要求以换取更好的退休福利待遇,可现在都成了泡影。在他们看来,退休金和工资都一样,都是他们应得的福利,并非公司额外的犒赏,没钱的时候就可以一笔勾销。公司也不能因为遇到一些法律纠纷就逃避这些他们应承担的义务,一走了之。这一问题应当在大选中成为焦点。当然,这只是机师工的看法,实际上,大选还顾不上这事,这也让很多机师工不平。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/wQ6O777K
0
考博英语
相关试题推荐
Readthereportbelowaboutthegrowthoflow-costairlines.ChoosethecorrectwordtofilleachgapfromA,BorContheoppo
Readthearticlebelowaboutproblemsindonginternationaltrade.Foreachquestion23-28ontheoppositepage,choosethe
NoticetoallStaffConfirmyoursummerholidaydateswithyourdepartmentsupervisorbeforeenteringthemontheHolidayList.
SprintWantsYourIPhoneRememberthemapwarsbetweenAT&TWirelessandVerizonWireless?SprintNextelthoughtitlookedl
Thechildrenglanced______attheboxofcandytheyweretoldnottotouch.
JaneandTomhavebeenabletoreconciletheirdifferenceandareahappyfamilyagain.
Manhasbecomemasteroftheearth’ssurface.Heisconstantlyprobingintotheearth’sdepthsandintotheatmosphere’suppe
Earlysignsof______seenintheherbalmedicinestudyareextremelyencouragingandbaseduponthesedata,wearenowplanning
Fromsciencecoursesstudentsshould______ausefulcommandofscienceconceptsandprinciples.
随机试题
中国公共关系协会成立的时间是()。
多器官功能障碍综合征最先涉及的器官常常是
影响药物利用的药剂学因素包括
根据《药品经营质量管理规范》,下列不符合药品零售企业经营质量管理规定的是
某产品有F1,F2,F3,F4四项功能,采用环比评分法得出相邻两项功能的重要性系数为:F1/F2=1.75,F2/F3=2.20,F3/F4=3.10。则功能F2的重要性系数是()。
影响基坑稳定性的说法,不正确的是()。
宜斯策略:是指生物为生存和繁衍而采取的一种比较稳定的策略,即如果种群的大部分成员采用某种策略,而这种策略的好处是其他策略所比不上的,则这种策略就是进化上的稳定策略。根据上述定义,下列属于宜斯策略的是()
许多地方政府为了加快发展,不问客观条件是否具备,只要是国家鼓励发展的行业,就大力招商引资,违背了生产力布局的原则,使大量投资效率低下,企业长期低效运行。在市场短缺时,大多数项目都还可以维持,甚至可能有不错的效益,一旦出现总量过剩,那些布局不合理的企业就首当
下列描述中,不属于面向对象思想主要特征的是
销售部助理小王需要根据2012年和2013年的图书产品销售情况进行统计分析,以便制订新一年的销售计划和工作任务。现在,请你按照如下需求,在文档Excel.xlsx中完成以下工作并保存。在“2013年图书销售分析”工作表中,统计2013年各类图书在每月的
最新回复
(
0
)