Notes about our Contribution System and History

When we first organized DP3 we asked for an initial contribution of $50 to defray start-up costs and out-of-pocket expenses. When the signs of Delta’s impending bankruptcy convinced us that we needed to be prepared, we asked for an additional $100 from our members; making the cost to join $150. We used that extra money to hire our attorney and pay him to prepare for our participation in bankruptcy court. After Delta filed for bankruptcy, our legal fees grew considerably. In August of 2005, the DP3 Board of trustees decided to assess our members $500 to pay for our legal costs in 2005, and $350 for 2006, making the total for Honor Roll membership $1,000. That 2006 assessment, coupled with the bankruptcy court legal fee award, carried us through the end of 2008.

Beginning in 2009 we established an annual contribution program to cover our recurring (non-legal) and other expenses. The annual contribution rate was set at $100 per member for both 2009 and 2010, which, combined with aggressive cost control and conservative spending, paid all our recurring and legal expenses through 2010. Entering 2011, we will face increasing legal costs for mounting our PBGC appeal, and we could not maintain the contribution level and still provide the resources to retain the best attorneys and professionals possible for the effort. With our current membership level and expected professional expenses, we had to raise the 2011 contribution to $300 per member. We anticipate this will bring us through the remainder of 2011 and substantially complete the administrative appeal process.

If you are not currently a member, you may begin supporting DP3 by making the 2011 contribution, which will help support our congressional efforts, as well as our communications efforts via the web page and email service. If you want us to represent you in our legal action against the PBGC or in a subsequent federal court case, that requires full Honor Roll membership and payment of all previous contributions and assessments ($1,500 total.)

For those retirees who are not Honor Roll members we can set up a payment plan to allow you to catch up on past assessments for full DP3 representation. If you are not currently an Honor Roll member, you can still help fund our legislative efforts by paying the 2011 annual contributions and we will add you to our email list so that you receive regular updates from DP3. For those who would like to join the consolidated appeal and have the DP3 professional team represent you before the PBGC, you must be a fully paid Honor Roll Member – each participant in the appeal will pay the same share of the cost as everyone else, including the DP3 Trustees. Note that you must submit to DP3 the documents specified in our appeal checklist to actually join the appeal - mere Honor Roll membership does not get you legal representation before the appeals board.

None of the Trustees of DP3 receive any compensation for their involvement in this effort beyond reimbursement of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses.