May 15, 2005
Dear Mr. Tilton,
I dont know if you remember me, but I have written you before, however
I would like to reintroduce myself. My name is Patti Knueppel and I work
as a CSR in Anchorage Alaska. I have worked for United for 21 years this
coming June and have always been very proud of that fact. I have been
here through Mr. Ferris, Mr. Wolf, Mr. Goodwin and a few others. I have
been here through the Sioux City Iowa crash, the Colorado Springs crash,
Flt 800, the so called summer from hell, the ESOP, the start and end
of the freighters, 9/11, station closings and openings and now
bankruptcy. I can work the ramp, the gates, the counter, air freight,
baggage service, operations, I am a DGS, GCS, a limited screener and can
work Hawaiian Airlines, Air Canada, America West and United Express all
of which has required me to spend thousands of hours away from my family
for training so that I could be better at my job and for United. I also
upgrade to Service Director on more occasions than I can co! unt. I have
been screamed at, threaten, blamed for everything that happens when a
flight goes wrong, I have dealt with drunks, children, ACAA, special
need passengers, and some of the rudest premiers I have ever met all
with a smile and in the name of United. I am curious as to how many of
these jobs you and your management team can do or how many of these type
of incidents youve been through?
Through all of this I have been loyal and the majority of time been very
positive about United and where we were headed. Now I find myself lying
to customers to reassure them that United will be fine and they will not
experience any problems or disruptions with their summer vacation plans
because of the internal problems within our company and it sickens me.
United stresses weekly in our lessons customer service, honesty, put
ourselves in the customers shoes, compassion, understanding etc.
What truly amazes me is that United, you and your management team,
expect this and so much more from us and we dont even get it from you.
What happen to the _expression lead by example?
When you first came to United I was very excited, finally a non-airline
CEO, someone who didnt owe anyone within our company anything , finally
someone who the employees seem to really like and trust, who told us he
had our best interest at heart as well as the companies and the future.
Someone who told us we would work together to end the bankruptcy and we
would ALL see the rewards of our hard work. You toured stations, however
somehow always seemed to forget about ANC, as so many before you, but
that was ok, we listened and we read your briefings and we were
inspired. Boy was I wrong as was so many of my coworkers.
What I would like to know is what it is you and your fellow management
team do that makes you worth over $700,000 a year, more than double your
starting salary in 3 years, with a 4.5 million dollar pension and
bonuses?, a salary so many of us could never achieve no matter how long
we worked for United or how much knowledge we obtain. Of course I
already know the answer to that. You and your team were hired to come
in, make the employees trust you and then stab us in the back You where
hired to take more and more from us while you and your management team
ensured your futures with raises, bonuses, and pensions. Yet for some
reason we as employees still come to work everyday and deal with the
customers, load the planes and get them out on time to make YOU look
good. I know youll say its not you were making look good it ourselves
and the way people view United, which in a way is true, however as long
as we continue to do this day in and day out nothing will ever change,
e! xcept now I have lost my pension, taken over a 25% pay cut in less
than 8 years with the bulk of that being after YOU the one I was suppose
to trust, the one who was going to work with all of us make our lives
better and emerge from bankruptcy came on board. Now you want more of my
money, you want my vacation, my holidays and my sick time. You want me
to work harder and longer for so much less, because its for the future
of our company. Tell me Mr. Tilton when the bankruptcy is over and 5
years from now will you and your management team still be part of OUR
company or will you have long moved on to your 4.5 million dollar
pensions while we struggle week to week trying to save for our
retirement because you took it and so much from us? Will you think about
those employees who cant make mortgage payments and provide enough
food, or have to get a 2nd or 3rd job to live, while your off
vacationing at some exotic place drinking your margaritas, will you and
! your team feel guilty at all because you did this to us? Will you be
able to sleep at night and not dream about it? Or are you willing to
live up to your promises and you and your team give back and place your
salaries and pensions on the table, I think not, after all that isnt
why you were hired was it?

There used to be a time when someone heard you work for United they
envied you, now they pity us. There was a time a thought I would never
vote for a union, I would never strike against United that time has long
come and gone. I voted for the strike with over 90% off my fellow
workers, and I will strike and I will walk the minute the union tells us
no matter what. I would rather see the doors of this company close than
see you and your management team get another dime from me or my
coworkers. You may think this is unfair and selfish, but then again you
can afford to. I would love to discuss this in person with you, maybe
someday youll come to Alaska but I wont hold my breath, after all how
much damage can 50+ employees do, right?

Patti Knueppel
ANCOZ F/N 88817
Cc: D. Hacker, F. Brace, P. McDonald, J.Tague