Negotiations To Cover As Many As 35,400 Employees Of The Airline

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) have reached an agreement with United Airlines to enter into expedited contract negotiations with the assistance of the National Mediation Board (NMB) for six classifications covering 35,400 employees at the airline.

“Airline consolidation has complicated industry negotiations, no more so than at United Airlines,” said IAM District 141 President Rich Delaney. “We believe that focused, expedited negotiations can produce agreements that recognize the value of IAM members to United's operation. We will leverage the Machinists Union's substantial resources to attain the contracts our members want, need and deserve.”

The agreement establishes an intense bargaining process with the goal of achieving joint labor agreements by November 15, 2012. If new accords cannot be reached, the IAM and United Airlines agree to jointly apply for mediation to combine all contracts into a single agreement for each classification.

Pre-merger United employees have been in mediated contract negotiations since 2009 that have remained stalled due to the merger of United, Continental and Continental Micronesia and subsequent representation elections. Employees from Continental and Continental Micronesia are either working under contracts that are not normally amendable or were unrepresented prior to the merger and currently have no contract.

FMI: www.iam141.org