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Capt. J.E. "Jerry" Wood, President
(305)448-0892

Capt J.B. Robbins, 1st Vice President
(305)876-3589

Capt. J.C. "Joe" Vance, 2nd Vice President
(404)344-2903 Summer
(813)392-3387 Winter

Capt. E.S. "Gene" Ramsay, Secretary
(305)754-7168

Capt. G.P. "Gerry" Brown, Treasurer
(305)665-5057

RETIRED EASTERN PILOTS ASSOCIATION
P.O. Box 530726
Miami, Florida 33153

Please reply to
1001 Coral Way
Coral Gables, Florida 33134

October 31, 1979

Mr. Charles J. Simons
Executive Vice President
Eastern Airlines Inc. 
Miami, Florida 33148

Dear Charlie:

Sorry you were unable to attend our recent convention. It was a good one and I'm sure you would have had a fine time. Maybe next year in Daytona Beach?

The purpose of this letter is to discuss the severe disappointment and frustration of the retired pilots with the variable ("B") portion  of our pension plans. Much of this frustration is reflected in resentment toward the plan, its performance, its structure and its management. Some of this may be justified but perhaps much of it may also be simply because of knowledge, information, and participation being largely unavailable to the retired pilots. In any event the plan has been most discouraged to all pilots and particularly to those of us who proposed and negotiated it more than 20 years ago.

It has been useless as the hedge against inflation which we contemplated at that time.

There are presently about 700 retired EAL pilots. This number will grow to about 11 or 12 hundred in the near future. 

To help prevent a continuation and mushrooming of the misunderstanding and resentment with respect to the Variable "B" plan it is suggested [[underline]]and requested[[/underline]] that a retired pilot be included on the "Retirement Committee."

This was obviously an oversight when we drafted the plan originally - However, we were ploughing new ground. We had only a few retired pilots, most of whom had taken early retirement. Although understandable, the time for correction of this oversight is long over due. It can be effected by agreement and a minim rewrite of Article 15 - of the "Variable Plan for Pilots." (and also Article 10 of the "Fixed Benefit Plan if desirable for uniformity.)

I'm sure it must be agreed that it is not a healthy situation where the members of a large and rapidly growing group are afforded no representation in matters vital to their welfare.

EASTERN