Town Hall Meetings on the Cusp of a Historic Contract Ratification at United

Town Hall Meetings on the Cusp of a Historic Contract Ratification at United

Town Hall Meetings on the Cusp of a Historic

Contract Ratification at United

IAM141.org

A gathering of Machinists Union Members filed into a Town Hall Meeting to discuss seven new contractual agreements with United Airlines. 

At more than 50 airports around the nation, Machinists Union members have been gathering in airport Ready Rooms, Local Lodges, and other locations to discuss the ratification of seven new agreements that will cover about 30,000 employees at the carrier. 

The Agreements will add new wage scales that will make it easier for United to attract new hires and increase the number of Lead agents. They will also introduce new language to protect agents at 17 stations that might have otherwise been subject to outsourcing. 

Following the return of air travel after the pandemic, United has repeatedly been forced to resort to huge bonuses to draw in workers interested in working for the airline. Stenberg told the assembly that United hoped higher starting wages would help reduce the need for large bonuses to attract new employees. 

The new agreements will also introduce minimum levels of full-time workers, a first for the airline. 

During the height of the pandemic, CEO Scott Kirby attempted to furlough thousands of employees to part-time status. “It’s important to remember that,” said Joe Bartz at the Chicago meeting. “We took him to court to stop that plan, and we protected full-time status for our members. But, if we hadn’t made him back down, there’s no guarantee that he wouldn’t have been able to legally do that,” he continued. 

“These new agreements will make sure that he can never try to do that again,” he said. 

While the new agreements protect full-time positions, Erik Stenberg stressed that no part-timers would be forced to go full-time. Stenberg, who led the meeting and is an Assistant General Chair, and Bartz, reassured part-timers that their status was also protected. 

Stenberg and Bartz were among the group of Union Negotiators who helped forge the new agreements. 

The Chicago meeting comes as the voting period for the Agreements is drawing to a close following a 7-day voting window. The Ratification Vote will end on May 1, with results expected to be announced within 24 hours, barring any unforeseen developments.

In the first quarter of 2023, United Airlines reported a pre-tax loss of $256 millionHowever, the company increased its total operating revenue by 51.1% compared to the same period in 2022 and its total revenue per available seat mile (TRASM) by 22.5%The airline has also been increasing its capacity in recent months, with a 22.4% year-on-year increase in Q1 and an expected 18.5% increase in Q2 compared to Q2 2022.

According to Bartz, the Union and Company will return to full “Section 6” negotiations, where the two sides will litigate every word of all seven contracts. Typically, Union Negotiations in the Airline industry take anywhere from two to four years to complete. Any workgroups that vote down their agreement will have to wait until the Section 6 talks wrap up to lock in new wages and job protections. 

“For the first time ever, every single ramp and Customer service airport cannot be outsourced under any circumstances,” Bartz told the union members.

“You will be the highest paid in your work classification in the industry, Bartz told the group. “No matter what. We will get back to work, protect all our stations, and Kirby will never be able to cut us to part-time.”

“For the past five months, we’ve been laser focused on wages and job security,” he continued. “We were in a position where we had to go forward, and you guys are going to tell us how well we did.”

 

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Town Hall Meetings on the Cusp of a Historic Contract Ratification at United

April 27, 2023

A gathering of Machinists Union Members filed into a Town Hall Meeting to discuss seven new contractual agreements with United Airlines. 

At more than 50 airports around the nation, Machinists Union members have been gathering in airport Ready Rooms, Local Lodges, and other locations to discuss the ratification of seven new agreements that will cover about 30,000 employees at the carrier. 

The Agreements will add new wage scales that will make it easier for United to attract new hires and increase the number of Lead agents. They will also introduce new language to protect agents at 17 stations that might have otherwise been subject to outsourcing. 

Following the return of air travel after the pandemic, United has repeatedly been forced to resort to huge bonuses to draw in workers interested in working for the airline. Stenberg told the assembly that United hoped higher starting wages would help reduce the need for large bonuses to attract new employees. 

The new agreements will also introduce minimum levels of full-time workers, a first for the airline. 

During the height of the pandemic, CEO Scott Kirby attempted to furlough thousands of employees to part-time status. “It’s important to remember that,” said Joe Bartz at the Chicago meeting. “We took him to court to stop that plan, and we protected full-time status for our members. But, if we hadn’t made him back down, there’s no guarantee that he wouldn’t have been able to legally do that,” he continued. 

“These new agreements will make sure that he can never try to do that again,” he said. 

While the new agreements protect full-time positions, Erik Stenberg stressed that no part-timers would be forced to go full-time. Stenberg, who led the meeting and is an Assistant General Chair, and Bartz, reassured part-timers that their status was also protected. 

Stenberg and Bartz were among the group of Union Negotiators who helped forge the new agreements. 

The Chicago meeting comes as the voting period for the Agreements is drawing to a close following a 7-day voting window. The Ratification Vote will end on May 1, with results expected to be announced within 24 hours, barring any unforeseen developments.

In the first quarter of 2023, United Airlines reported a pre-tax loss of $256 millionHowever, the company increased its total operating revenue by 51.1% compared to the same period in 2022 and its total revenue per available seat mile (TRASM) by 22.5%The airline has also been increasing its capacity in recent months, with a 22.4% year-on-year increase in Q1 and an expected 18.5% increase in Q2 compared to Q2 2022.

According to Bartz, the Union and Company will return to full “Section 6” negotiations, where the two sides will litigate every word of all seven contracts. Typically, Union Negotiations in the Airline industry take anywhere from two to four years to complete. Any workgroups that vote down their agreement will have to wait until the Section 6 talks wrap up to lock in new wages and job protections. 

“For the first time ever, every single ramp and Customer service airport cannot be outsourced under any circumstances,” Bartz told the union members.

“You will be the highest paid in your work classification in the industry, Bartz told the group. “No matter what. We will get back to work, protect all our stations, and Kirby will never be able to cut us to part-time.”

“For the past five months, we’ve been laser focused on wages and job security,” he continued. “We were in a position where we had to go forward, and you guys are going to tell us how well we did.”

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Disruptive Passenger Causes United Flight to Return to Newark

Disruptive Passenger Causes United Flight to Return to Newark

Disruptive Passenger Causes United Flight to Return to Newark

IAM141.org

A United flight bound for Israel was forced to turn around and return to Newark airport early Sunday morning due to a disruptive passenger. The flight, which had already been delayed by two hours, had only been in the air for three hours before the incident occurred.

According to Local News Outlets, the passenger sat in a seat reserved for flight attendants while waiting to use the bathroom. When asked to move by a crew member, the man refused and began arguing with flight attendants.

Upon arrival back in Newark, law enforcement escorted the man off the plane. United Airlines released a statement saying, “United Flight 90 traveling from Newark to Tel Aviv returned to Newark shortly after takeoff due to a disruptive passenger. Law enforcement met the aircraft and removed the passenger. A new flight was scheduled to depart Sunday evening.”

The flight, originally scheduled to depart at 10:55 p.m., left Newark at 12:48 a.m. and arrived at the airport at 6:28 a.m., according to FlightAware.com. Passengers were booked onto a new flight for late Sunday.

In response to the growing number of air rage incidents, unions, including the Machinists Union and other airline workers, have called on the government, airlines, and airports to take stronger measures to reduce the number of unruly passenger incidents. Some of their proposals include banning to-go alcohol sales at airports, sharing internal no-fly lists between airlines so that banned passengers cannot disrupt another flight, and increasing fines and other penalties for disruptive and abusive behavior

Additionally, U.S. Senate and House members have proposed a new no-fly list for unruly passengers that would allow the Transportation Security Administration to ban people convicted or fined for assaulting or interfering with airline crew members.

U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) and U.S. Representatives Eric Swalwell (D-CA) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) have introduced new bipartisan legislation that could stiffen penalties against offenders convicted of assaulting flight crew aboard an aircraft and place them on a commercial no-fly list. 

 The proposed legislation, called the Protection from Abusive Passengers Act, is aimed at protecting travelers and frontline aircrew members from physical abuse that has become more frequent during flightsThe lawmakers say the enhanced penalty will serve as a strong deterrent against combative passengers and is needed to improve the safety of frontline aviation crews, attendants, and passengers.

 

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Disruptive Passenger Causes United Flight to Return to Newark

April 26, 2023

A United flight bound for Israel was forced to turn around and return to Newark airport early Sunday morning due to a disruptive passenger. The flight, which had already been delayed by two hours, had only been in the air for three hours before the incident occurred.

According to Local News Outlets, the passenger sat in a seat reserved for flight attendants while waiting to use the bathroom. When asked to move by a crew member, the man refused and began arguing with flight attendants.

Upon arrival back in Newark, law enforcement escorted the man off the plane. United Airlines released a statement saying, “United Flight 90 traveling from Newark to Tel Aviv returned to Newark shortly after takeoff due to a disruptive passenger. Law enforcement met the aircraft and removed the passenger. A new flight was scheduled to depart Sunday evening.”

The flight, originally scheduled to depart at 10:55 p.m., left Newark at 12:48 a.m. and arrived at the airport at 6:28 a.m., according to FlightAware.com. Passengers were booked onto a new flight for late Sunday.

In response to the growing number of air rage incidents, unions, including the Machinists Union and other airline workers, have called on the government, airlines, and airports to take stronger measures to reduce the number of unruly passenger incidents. Some of their proposals include banning to-go alcohol sales at airports, sharing internal no-fly lists between airlines so that banned passengers cannot disrupt another flight, and increasing fines and other penalties for disruptive and abusive behavior

Additionally, U.S. Senate and House members have proposed a new no-fly list for unruly passengers that would allow the Transportation Security Administration to ban people convicted or fined for assaulting or interfering with airline crew members.

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 The proposed legislation, called the Protection from Abusive Passengers Act, is aimed at protecting travelers and frontline aircrew members from physical abuse that has become more frequent during flightsThe lawmakers say the enhanced penalty will serve as a strong deterrent against combative passengers and is needed to improve the safety of frontline aviation crews, attendants, and passengers.

 

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IAM and United Airlines Tentative Agreements Provide Immediate Benefits

IAM and United Airlines Tentative Agreements Provide Immediate Benefits

IAM and United Airlines Tentative Agreements Provide Immediate Benefits

IAM141.org

United Airlines and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) union have reached tentative agreements covering seven separate workgroups, including fleet service workers, passenger service workers, storekeepers, central load planners, maintenance instructors, fleet technical instructors, and security officers. 

These agreements are intended to provide workplace improvements for covered union members while more comprehensive agreements are negotiated. Union negotiators will begin preparing for new rounds of contract talks in the next few months.

The agreements will provide the highest overall compensation for every covered workgroup and extend outsourcing protections for 17 stations. The deals will extend “no furlough” rules for employees, based on seniority, by twenty years, to June 2019.

The tentative agreements will also include a Ratification bonus for the union, giving members $110 for each year with the company. If ratified, the union will see job protections and pay to improve immediately on the ratification date. The union will also get a $45 million Ratification bonus, which will begin going out in the first pay period after ratification.

“The new agreements will provide immediate job protections and pay increases for our members,” said Mike Klemm, the IAM Union’s District President who helped lead the negotiations. “The Ratification bonus will give our union a significant boost and recognize our members’ years of service to the company.”

The IAM union has been negotiating with United Airlines since 2019, but talks were put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Negotiations resumed in December 2022 and concluded earlier this month. 

Union Members in good standing will begin ratification votes on all the agreements on April 24 by electronic ballot. The voting period will last until May 1 at 6:00 pm, when all votes will be tallied. 

Local committees are holding informational town hall and break room meetings at airports nationwide, explaining how the agreements will impact each workgroup. A list of dates for the sessions has been published online.

If ratified, the agreements will position United Airlines to outcompete other airlines in a tight labor market by increasing lead pay by $3/hour and boosting wages in some cases to over $40/hour. They will also insource work at 17 airports nationwide and prevent outsourcing for more employees.

The IAM union’s announcement of the tentative agreements is a welcome development for United Airlines, which has faced uncertainty in recent years due to labor disputes and financial challenges. With these agreements, United Airlines is positioning itself to remain competitive in the airline industry and retain its workforce in a tight labor market.

The announcement also has implications for other airlines in the industry, particularly those that may be facing negotiations with the Machinists Union in the near future. If ratified, these agreements could set industry standards for compensation and job security, making it more difficult for other airlines to compete for workers in a tight labor market.

 

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IAM and United Airlines Tentative Agreements Provide Immediate Benefits

April 17, 2023

United Airlines and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) union have reached tentative agreements covering seven separate workgroups, including fleet service workers, passenger service workers, storekeepers, central load planners, maintenance instructors, fleet technical instructors, and security officers. 

These agreements are intended to provide workplace improvements for covered union members while more comprehensive agreements are negotiated. Union negotiators will begin preparing for new rounds of contract talks in the next few months.

The agreements will provide the highest overall compensation for every covered workgroup and extend outsourcing protections for 17 stations. The deals will extend “no furlough” rules for employees, based on seniority, by twenty years, to June 2019.

The tentative agreements will also include a Ratification bonus for the union, giving members $110 for each year with the company. If ratified, the union will see job protections and pay to improve immediately on the ratification date. The union will also get a $45 million Ratification bonus, which will begin going out in the first pay period after ratification.

“The new agreements will provide immediate job protections and pay increases for our members,” said Mike Klemm, the IAM Union’s District President who helped lead the negotiations. “The Ratification bonus will give our union a significant boost and recognize our members’ years of service to the company.”

The IAM union has been negotiating with United Airlines since 2019, but talks were put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Negotiations resumed in December 2022 and concluded earlier this month. 

Union Members in good standing will begin ratification votes on all the agreements on April 24 by electronic ballot. The voting period will last until May 1 at 6:00 pm, when all votes will be tallied. 

Local committees are holding informational town hall and break room meetings at airports nationwide, explaining how the agreements will impact each workgroup. A list of dates for the sessions has been published online.

If ratified, the agreements will position United Airlines to outcompete other airlines in a tight labor market by increasing lead pay by $3/hour and boosting wages in some cases to over $40/hour. They will also insource work at 17 airports nationwide and prevent outsourcing for more employees.

The IAM union’s announcement of the tentative agreements is a welcome development for United Airlines, which has faced uncertainty in recent years due to labor disputes and financial challenges. With these agreements, United Airlines is positioning itself to remain competitive in the airline industry and retain its workforce in a tight labor market.

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30,000 Machinists Union Members at United Reach Tentative Agreement

30,000 Machinists Union Members at United Reach Tentative Agreement

30,000 Machinists Union Members at United Reach Tentative Agreement

On March 29, we informed you that we reached an Agreement in Principle (AIP) with United Airlines on seven contracts covering over 29,000 IAM members at United Airlines. We’re happy to inform you that we have transitioned the AIP into a Tentative Agreement (TA) for you to review and vote on.

All changes to the current agreements can be viewed on our website, iam141.org. It is important to note that only changes will appear on the website. If it is not on the website, then the contractual language remains the same as it does today.

All IAM-United grievance committees attended an informational session yesterday, followed by questions and answers in ORD. IAM District Lodge 141 Officers will also visit each location to explain the tentative agreements and answer questions. Please check the website for what day they will be in your station.

Voting will be conducted electronically by BallotPoint Election Services. You will be sent voting instructions with a Personal Identification Number to the address you have on file with the company. The voting period will commence at 00:01 EDT on April 24, 2023, and last through 18:00 EDT on May 1, 2023.

Please call (888) 608-1411 with questions about voting instructions and electronic voting. Feel free to get in touch with your respective Assistant General Chairperson with questions about specific contract language.

In Solidarity,

Your Negotiating Committee
Olu Ajetomobi
Joe Bartz
Victor Hernandez
Barb Martin
Andrea’ Myers
Terry Stansbury
Faysal Silwany
Erik Stenberg
Sue Weisner

Michael G Klemm
President and Directing General Chair,
District 141,
International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers

Recording Secretaries: Please print and post on all IAMAW bulletin Boards.

30,000 Machinists Union Members at United Reach Tentative Agreement

United Airlines Contract Negotiations

United Contract Negotiations Update

IAM and United management negotiators met this past Friday in Washington DC for 14 hours in an effort to reach agreement on seven IAM contracts covering almost 30,000 United Airlines workers. While United management has finally recognized that to reach any agreement, whether in the current expedited process or traditional “Section Six” negotiations, the issue of job security must be resolved. The parties, however, still remain apart on a mutually acceptable job security construct. 

As we have stated since the onset of this expedited process, IAM-represented United Airlines workers need and deserve job security that prohibits outsourcing and protects our employment and job status (full-time/part-time). While we have made significant progress in the outsourcing and employment protection components of job security, United management has still not offered acceptable protections for full-time and part-time employment and opportunities for part-time employees who seek full-time employment to obtain those positions. 

United management representatives, whether high-ranking officials in negotiations or frontline management personnel have stated to IAM negotiators and IAM-represented United workers across the system that they have no intention of “casualizing” the Ramp and PCE and making those classifications majority-plus part-time work classifications. 

They just refuse to put it in writing. 

Every IAM contract in the airline industry includes protection of full-time employment, which consequently protects part-time employment. Your District 141 Negotiations Committee has proposed language that is reasonable and which exists in other IAM contracts at major airlines. While protecting full-time and part-time employment, our proposals also provide United management the flexibility to grow the carrier, which we all want, and the needed flexibility in case of a reduction in force. 

After Friday’s talks, the gap on the remaining issues has narrowed. But, United management negotiators are still pushing back against what we view as acceptable resolutions to these issues. While there may be a path to an agreement, we are now forced to review our options to exit the expedited process and enter traditional “Section Six” negotiations and possibly request the assistance of the National Mediation Board (NMB) and enter federally mediated negotiations.

We appreciate the patience and strong support of all IAM members at United Airlines. The almost 30,000 IAM members at United Airlines do not deserve to be treated as second-class citizens in the realm of Job Security.

We deserve to know that our jobs and paychecks are secure so that we can care for our families with dignity.

We will advise the membership of next steps later this week.

In Solidarity,

Your Negotiating Committee
Olu Ajetomobi
Joe Bartz
Victor Hernandez
Barb Martin
Andrea’ Myers
Terry Stansbury
Faysal Silwany
Erik Stenberg
Sue Weisner

Michael G Klemm
President and Directing General Chair, 
District 141,
International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers

Recording Secretaries: Please print and post on all IAMAW bulletin Boards.

Do Airline Contracts Expire?

Do Airline Contracts Expire?

Do Airline Contracts Expire?

IAM141.org

You’ve probably heard of the Railway Labor Act if you work at an airline or are a frequent air traveler. This federal law, enacted in 1926, established a framework for labor-management relations in the railroad and airline industries. One of the Railway Labor Act’s most significant features is how it governs airline labor contracts.

Compared to most labor contracts with an expiration date set in stone, union contracts at airlines never truly expire. Instead, they become amendable after a particular date. This means that even if a union contract has passed its amendable date, it remains in effect until a new agreement is reached. Another way to think of it is to consider a union contract at an airline or railroad as “updatable” after a specified date instead of “expired.”

This unique feature of airline labor contracts results from the Railway Labor Act’s goal of promoting stability and avoiding disruptive labor disputes in industries essential to the national economy. Under the Act, airlines and their unions must engage in bargaining and mediation procedures before any work stoppages or strikes occur. This is intended to provide a safety net against any disruption to air travel that could have far-reaching consequences.

Many union contracts governed by the Railway Labor Act have amendable dates about three years after they are signed. Once the amendable date has passed and the agreement can be updated, both sides have a 30-day window to request to open negotiations. The contract will renew if the parties do not request talks during this time.

It’s important to note that the amendable date is one of many opportunities for airlines and their unions to change their labor agreements. Both sides can agree to negotiate outside of this window, and many airlines and unions do so regularly to address changes in the industry and other factors.

The Railway Labor Act’s framework for airline labor contracts has helped to promote stability and avoid disruptions in air travel for almost a century. While negotiating new agreements can be lengthy and complex, it has also led to a relatively stable labor environment in an industry essential to the nation’s economy.

The Railway Labor Act got its name because it was first drafted to prevent powerful rail unions from paralyzing national transportation, which relied heavily on railroads at the time. Airlines were added to the Act once they began to rival rail as a critical method of travel and shipping.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) has been negotiating with United Airlines for months over new labor contracts covering thousands of employees. The two sides have made some progress, but one sticking point has yet to be resolved: job security and status protections for workers.

According to the Machinists Union, these protections are critical for ensuring United employees have a stable and secure work environment. The union has proposed specific language that would provide significant job security and protections for customer service and ramp workers, stores, trainers, and load planners at the airline. However, United has yet to include these provisions in any updated contract, leading to an increasingly tense negotiation stalemate.

By putting profits ahead of its workers and failing to provide the job security and protections necessary in today’s airline industry, United is positioning itself at a competitive disadvantage. Staffing issues continue to plague the airline industry as carriers seek to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. While most air travel was grounded in 2020, United offered lucrative payouts to entice as many people as possible to retire as soon as possible. The policy allowed United to pocket millions in unspent wage support payments the airline collected from taxpayers.

United, for its part, has stated that it is committed to achieving a fair and equitable agreement with its union workforce. Still, CEO Scott Kirby has repeatedly demanded the airline return to its dark history of outsourcing employees to low-wage contractors – a return that no union worker supports.

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Stay up to date with all the latest news and information from the Machinists Union

Do Airline Contracts Expire?

February 22, 2023

You’ve probably heard of the Railway Labor Act if you work at an airline or are a frequent air traveler. This federal law, enacted in 1926, established a framework for labor-management relations in the railroad and airline industries. One of the Railway Labor Act’s most significant features is how it governs airline labor contracts.

Compared to most labor contracts with an expiration date set in stone, union contracts at airlines never truly expire. Instead, they become amendable after a particular date. This means that even if a union contract has passed its amendable date, it remains in effect until a new agreement is reached. Another way to think of it is to consider a union contract at an airline or railroad as “updatable” after a specified date instead of “expired.”

This unique feature of airline labor contracts results from the Railway Labor Act’s goal of promoting stability and avoiding disruptive labor disputes in industries essential to the national economy. Under the Act, airlines and their unions must engage in bargaining and mediation procedures before any work stoppages or strikes occur. This is intended to provide a safety net against any disruption to air travel that could have far-reaching consequences.

Many union contracts governed by the Railway Labor Act have amendable dates about three years after they are signed. Once the amendable date has passed and the agreement can be updated, both sides have a 30-day window to request to open negotiations. The contract will renew if the parties do not request talks during this time.

It’s important to note that the amendable date is one of many opportunities for airlines and their unions to change their labor agreements. Both sides can agree to negotiate outside of this window, and many airlines and unions do so regularly to address changes in the industry and other factors.

The Railway Labor Act’s framework for airline labor contracts has helped to promote stability and avoid disruptions in air travel for almost a century. While negotiating new agreements can be lengthy and complex, it has also led to a relatively stable labor environment in an industry essential to the nation’s economy.

The Railway Labor Act got its name because it was first drafted to prevent powerful rail unions from paralyzing national transportation, which relied heavily on railroads at the time. Airlines were added to the Act once they began to rival rail as a critical method of travel and shipping.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) has been negotiating with United Airlines for months over new labor contracts covering thousands of employees. The two sides have made some progress, but one sticking point has yet to be resolved: job security and status protections for workers.

According to the Machinists Union, these protections are critical for ensuring United employees have a stable and secure work environment. The union has proposed specific language that would provide significant job security and protections for customer service and ramp workers, stores, trainers, and load planners at the airline. However, United has yet to include these provisions in any updated contract, leading to an increasingly tense negotiation stalemate.

By putting profits ahead of its workers and failing to provide the job security and protections necessary in today’s airline industry, United is positioning itself at a competitive disadvantage. Staffing issues continue to plague the airline industry as carriers seek to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. While most air travel was grounded in 2020, United offered lucrative payouts to entice as many people as possible to retire as soon as possible. The policy allowed United to pocket millions in unspent wage support payments the airline collected from taxpayers.

United, for its part, has stated that it is committed to achieving a fair and equitable agreement with its union workforce. Still, CEO Scott Kirby has repeatedly demanded the airline return to its dark history of outsourcing employees to low-wage contractors – a return that no union worker supports.

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