Perspectives: Archive
March 23, 2009
Pursuing Financially Responsible Solutions in an Extraordinarily Challenging, Fundamentally Changed Economic Environment
In early-April 2009, United and the six U.S. unions representing our employees will begin the process of negotiating new labor agreements. We are firmly committed to keeping you informed and have launched this new website to answer questions, share important news and provide detailed information about the process. As negotiations begin in early-April, this site will be expanded to include more specific information for each group of represented employees.
Joint discussions toward new collective bargaining agreements will begin approximately nine months before the current contracts become amendable. Our intent in these negotiations is to provide rewarding jobs that are less vulnerable to our industry's cyclical downturns. To do this, we must ensure that our company is positioned for future success.
In an industry and economic environment that remain both extraordinarily challenging and fundamentally changed, this process will require open dialogue, careful consideration and a sharp focus on financially responsible solutions that address the demands of a constantly evolving, highly competitive marketplace. We have worked jointly with our unions in recent months to achieve a number of important, mutually beneficial agreements, and we will be building on that progress collaboratively as we seek to reach new collective bargaining agreements as quickly as possible.
I look forward to keeping you updated, and to beginning the next phase of discussions with the leaders of AFA, ALPA, IAM, IBT, IFPTE and PAFCA. If you have any questions in the meantime, please feel free to e-mail them to negotiations@united.com or via the link at the top of this page.
Sincerely,
Doug McKeen
Senior Vice President – Labor Relations