Machinists Union announces tentative agreements with United Airlines

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) has reached three tentative agreements with United Airlines, covering 32,500 workers.

The announcement on 13 February affects employees working in the ramp/fleet service, public contact/reservations and stock clerk/stores classifications at the world’s largest airline. Negotiations for 1,500 IAM-represented employees in the fleet maintenance instructor, fleet technical instructor, food service employee and security officer classifications are continuing.

IAM district 141 president Rich Delaney said: “These landmark agreements provide retroactive wage increases, signing bonuses, traditional pension increases, improved job security and additional affordable healthcare options. The IAM negotiating committee is unanimously recommending ratification of each one.”

Negotiations for IAM members at United began in 2009 but stalled pending the outcome of representation disputes following the carrier’s 2010 merger with Continental and Continental Micronesia airlines. Representatives from those companies’ work groups were added to the IAM’s negotiating committees, following the IAM’s successful campaigns to represent the combined groups of employees.

“IAM negotiators blended multiple contracts and policies from three different airlines covering several classifications,” said IAM general vice president Sito Pantoja. “No other union has ever had to deal with such a tremendous undertaking in a single round of negotiations. The IAM negotiating committee did an excellent job in unprecedented circumstances.”

Gabriel Mocho, ITF head of civil aviation, added: “This is a very impressive achievement and we congratulate the IAM on this successful outcome to their hard-fought negotiations. We hope the remaining negotiations go equally well.”