United – Emirates Codeshare: Labor is Watching
Legislation
16 September 2022
Justice at JetBlue requires Just Cause at JetBlue.
“That’s evidence that they are not focused on profitability. They are just focused on flying the airplane somewhere and having the government subsidize it.” -United CEO Scott Kirby.
“Those airlines aren’t airlines. They’re international branding vehicles for their countries.” -Former United CEO Oscar Munoz.
After years of highlighting the unfair business practices of state-owned enterprises (SOE) such as Emirates, Airlines, and other Middle East carriers, United’s announcement of a new codeshare agreement demands scrutiny.
To protect the jobs of U.S. airline workers, there must be continued financial transparency and improved labor standards that ensure fairness is maintained in all Open Skies and codeshare agreements.
Since the beginning of its existence, Emirates Airlines has been sustained by massive government subsidies, unrelated to the global pandemic, used to expand far beyond what market forces could ever support. Their growth, including the Dubai-Athens-Newark service and Milan service, was only possible because of the enormous Emirati funding the airline received. These subsidies put U.S. airlines at a tremendous economic disadvantage and threaten U.S. airline workers’ jobs. American workers can compete with any foreign airline when on a level playing field. We cannot compete against entire countries.
Although the United States and United Arab Emirates signed an agreement in 2018 regarding these issues, the fact remains that there are currently no independent labor unions in the United Arab Emirates. This has led to a systemic, unacceptable assault on airline workers’ rights, with alarming accounts of unfair labor practices and intimidation by employers.
United Airlines employees and union leadership will be watching closely to ensure our scope provisions are rigorously followed and demand the highest labor standards are adhered to across all partnerships. We will act swiftly if needed to protect our long-term career security.
In Unity,
Ken Diaz MEC President AFA-UAL
Richard Johnsen General V/P IAM-UAL
Mike Hamilton Master Chair ALPA-UAL
Craig Symons President PAFCA-UAL
Joe Ferreira Dir. Airline Div. IBT-UAL
“Go Red” Luncheon Raises Awareness of Heart Disease
"Go Red" Luncheon Raises Awareness of Heart DiseaseIAM141.org February 8, 2023Heart disease is a devastating threat to women in the United States, claiming the lives of a staggering 314,186 women in 2020 alone - accounting for one out of every four female deaths. On...
Helping Hands February: Relationships
EAP Peer Volunteers: February is the month to focus on relationships. A definition of relationship is included as well as how to enhance relationships, how to keep a healthy relationships and how to handle conflict in a relationship. Communication is of...
4 Things Most People Don’t Know About MLK
4 Things Most People Don't Know About MLKIAM141.org January 16, 2023Today is the day Americans celebrate the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. There are many aspects of his life that everyone knows, such as his prominent role in the Civil Rights...
Make JetBlue a Better Place to Work With a YES VOTE!
Make JetBlue a better place to work with a YES VOTE! Justice at JetBlue January 10, 2023We are all proud to work for JetBlue, and we work extremely hard to make JetBlue a successful airline, even though we have been placed in difficult circumstances over the last few...
Related News
Controversy as Airline Workers Lose Critical Protections
New details are emerging in the struggle to preserve aspects of the Massachusetts Sick Leave law that would have protected airline workers facing significant personal challenges, including health crises, domestic abuse, and the need to care for family members. A court...
Helping Hands June: Suicide Prevention
EAP Peers: Helping Hands addresses suicide this month. We feature the 988 hotline that was funded and put in place last July. Since then, calls have increased over 800%! The line is a good resource and can help each of us when we aren't sure about what to do....
Meet Christine Mahoe, the New EAP Chairperson at Hawaiian
Christine Mahoe, a seasoned professional from Local Lodge 1979, has been appointed as the new Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Coordinator at Hawaiian Airlines. With her extensive experience as a Chief Cargo Agent, a Customer Service Agent, and an impressive 15-year...