Easy. Take away from salaried retirees.
Doug and friends represent all that has gone wrong with US capitalism since the 1990's and the advent of executive 'corporate royalty' in the US.
1. Rig the system so your performance looks good by wasting billions of profit dollars in stock buy backs vs investing in acquisitions or pouring more into R & D/future technology to truly differentiate Cat products/services.
2. Undercut all hourly/salaried/monthly mgmt employees' loyalty/enthusiasm/ dedication/ long term commitment to Cat by reducing their total compensation with health care and pension cuts while making VP and executive office incredibly wealthy for their lives as well as their families lives for many generations.
The measure at Cat used to be industry leading employees with well above average total compensation while working and in retirement. The new measure is don't pay/compensate anyone below VP level any more than any other industrial company, and, wherever/whenever possible, follow other companies' leads in cutting total compensation for the worker bees.
Too bad the Cat Board if Directors doesn't take the same approach with the executive office, Group Presidents and VP's. I am certain there are other just as talented individuals at Cat and around the world who could do just as well as Dougie et al. at WAY LESS total compensation. Board, your duty is to max out value to shareholders, don't overlook your ability to do just that by cutting the excessive compensation of upper mgmt at Cat
Oh. I forgot.. Cat's Board includes ex Cat execs and other handpicked individuals. The game is still rigged.
Holt and Best are rolling in their graves at the incredible sense of absolute self worth current Cat execs have and their cash grab, while treating the rest of the Cat family as another commodity whose cost should always be adjusted downward, whenever possible.
Hard to stay proud of my career employer.