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Mr. E. A LePenake    -4-    September 13,1948

Board has been unanimous.

Coming again to the retirement plan, the next step is to get a vote of the membership. If they vote for the plan that is presented, which is created strictly in accordance with the convention and Executive Board mandates, then the bill, considerably revised, will be introduced in the first session of the 81st Congress. If they vote against it, then it will be lost. It's democracy in action. Everyone can rest assured that everything that is being done and will be done is honest, straight, clean-cut, and in the full light of day.

Speaking of "the pan as we own it now has several glaring weaknesses which at the present time make our company plan far more attractive", I don't believe that when you finish listening to Red Foster you will still be of this opinion. I think you will realize, after knowing the facts, that the company's plan is far less attractive than the Federal plan your pilots' association retirement committee is working on for the air line pilots.

That's all I have to say and I certainly appreciate your letter. I like the way it's written. It comes at you right through the front door and says, "Here are the questions; answer them." I have tried to do this. But I beseech you to avail yourselves of a visit from either Messrs. Foster, Gitt, or Stiles. They have the information at their fingertips.

As a final word, I would like to say one more thing and I would like to have you emphasize it when you talk to your council about this problem. About a year ago, you know, we were in in pretty deep trouble with your company about the dilly-dallying around they were doing about signing the agreement. Mr. Patterson got pretty badly disturbed and on several occasions spoke his mind. On one if these occasions he said, " If this company ever gets its bad squarely to the wall, the first thing that's going to go is the pension plan." Now, stop and think about that. Analyze that statement. United's pension plan is based on nothing but the whim of the company, while with the air line pilots' Federal retirement plan, if it ever us enacted into law and it is my fervent hope that it will be, the old age security if the air line pilots and their families will be protected. Once it is enacted into federal law, the air line pilots retirement will be just as secure as any other person who comes under a government retirement plan and, as a mater of fact, the checks come direct form the United States Treasury.

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