New Ralphs Hiring Policy

Can you believe it? Now Ralphs is ruthlessly jumping on the two-tier wage bandwagon, which is a union-busting technique.

I am one of the 566 United Airlines newly trained “pre-hire” pilots (out of 570 total) who honored the Air Line Pilots Assn. picket line to preserve fair and non-discriminatory wages for its new-hire pilots. ALPA had proposed a two-tier pay scale with parity (pay merger with incumbent pilots) in 5 years, matching the recent contracts that the flight attendants and mechanics had agreed to, but the company wants a 22-year parity!

Since the strike I have discovered that the two-tier wage scale exists in many professions, and this trend will continue unless we nip it in the bud now. American citizens should honor picket lines and boycott companies where union-busting is taking place--e.g. United, Continental Airlines, Ralphs, etc. Your profession, or a loved one’s could be next.

I am unemployed now. Why? The commuter airline that I flew for in Palm Springs introduced a two-tier pay scale in January and they sure don’t want anyone back at the “old” scale if they can get them to work for the “new” one. Profit may be up, but morale is down, and morale equals safety.

America, stand up and yell, “We are mad as hell and we are not going to take it anymore.”

DEAN CHANTILES

Palm Springs