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Negotiations Drag Along in Chicago; District 141 Negotiators Leery with Pace of Talks

Negotiations Drag Along in Chicago; District 141 Negotiators Leery with Pace of Talks
26 March 2022
The IAM District 141 Negotiations Committee and United Airlines negotiators met this week in Chicago. The week started slowly, with no progress made. However, by the week’s end, each side presented and considered proposals from the other. We agreed to a deadline of August 1, 2022, to reach tentative accords on new contracts for approximately 25,000 IAM members covered under seven different agreements. The Union and Company have scheduled six weeks of additional talks between now and August 1, 2022, at hub locations across the system.
The proposals exchanged by both sides primarily dealt with modifying existing contract language regarding system bid rules, uniforms, company-mandated equipment requirements, and vacation rules. These issues are essential to the IAM membership at United. We hope to resolve them fairly and expeditiously, so we can move on to the other priorities of IAM members at United.
We remain cautiously optimistic that we will be able to achieve success in this expedited process. We define success as gaining improvements regarding the issues prioritized by IAM members in the survey and proposal process. This week, we reminded United management that the expedited negotiations process provides excellent value to the Company. It can lock in contracts for the near future in an expedited fashion. This gives the Company certainty regarding the labor costs of over 25,000 Machinists, the most prominent workgroups at the carrier, and avoids labor strife during United’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
We remain committed to achieving the industry-best contracts that we deserve at United. Much more work needs to be done to achieve our goal, and we ask that IAM members at United stay informed and focused on these negotiations. Please read and distribute these bulletins. Our power in negotiations comes from a unified membership that demands fairness.
Thank you for all your support and solidarity and your work to make United the successful airline it is. Without you, there is no United Airlines.
In Solidarity,
Your District 141 Negotiating Committee
Olu Ajetomobi
Joe Bartz
Victor Hernandez
Barb Martin
Andrea’ Myers
Terry Stansbury
Faysal Silwany
Erik Stenberg
Sue Weisner
Michael G. Klemm
President & Directing General Chair,
IAMAW District 141
Recording Secretaries: Please print and post on all IAMAW bulletin boards.