Battle for Delta Lands on Capital Hill

At a rally today on the U.S. Capitol grounds in anticipation of Wednesday’s Senate Commerce Committee hearing, Delta pilots, board council members, retirees, employees, and elected officials, announced that as of this morning more than 104,851 people have signed a petition on the KeepDeltaMyDelta.org site opposing US Airways’ hostile takeover attempt of Delta. Additionally, more than 155,000 letters have been mailed to members of Congress and the Bush administration voicing opposition to the merger proposal.
“For more than 60 years, Delta Air Lines has thrived as a leading employer of countless Georgians and has established itself as an economic engine for the Southeast,” said Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) during the rally at the Capitol. “Delta has met its challenges head-on and these hard-working folks deserve the opportunity to follow through with their plans to emerge as an independent company. I am pleased that my colleagues on the Senate Commerce Committee have scheduled this hearing to ensure that the content and potential effects of this proposal are carefully examined.”
Delta Board Council members along with active and retired Delta employees also are personally delivering that message to congressional representatives on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. today to urge their support of an independent Delta. The group will call on senators from 32 key states that would be affected if US Airways’ unsolicited merger proposal is approved. They are providing senators with information outlining Delta’s reasons for opposing the merger, notably its anticompetitive aspects.