ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill., Aug. 4 (UPI) -- The UAL Corp. wants a federal bankruptcy judge in Chicago to temporarily suspend action on lawsuits filed by machinists over United Airlines' pension funds.
The Wednesday request to U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Eugene Wedoff came as United CEO Glenn Tilton called on employees to work together to help the airline recover after 20 months in Chapter 11 protection.
"We will not be distracted," Tilton told employees Tuesday in a recorded message.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, representing 37,000 ramp workers and customer-service agents at United, filed suits against Tilton and two other executives last month after United said it would not make $495 million in pension payments for the rest of 2004.
United skipped a $72.2 million pension contribution due July 15. Tilton says the airline must save cash to make itself more attractive to potential capital investors as it emerges from bankruptcy.
An IAM spokesman told the Chicago Tribune the union will pursue the lawsuits.
