Source: Elines

Dear Flight Attendants: 

The July 23rd date to reach a new Joint Contract with United Airlines management is rapidly approaching. Despite the rosy emails coming out from United management, the Union and the company have significant differences to bridge in the coming weeks. After years of negotiations it is time for United Flight Attendants to achieve the Contract we deserve and for United Airlines to finally move forward with this merger.   

We are concerned with the decision of United management to close the JFK base in the middle of negotiations. They have stepped into a major dispute and we are pressing for a solution. It is critical that they respond with recognition of the Contract if we are to believe they are serious about reaching an agreement on a single Contract and putting our airline in a position to compete with the rest of the industry.

Although these merged negotiations have not been like typical Contract negotiations, we are getting down to crunch time. We will need the combined effort of all Flight Attendants at the merged carrier to send a message to top management that the time is Now for a merged agreement.  In the coming weeks we must continue to push hard to defend the standards we must have for safety, job security, quality of work-life, benefits and pay.

United Flight Attendants know how to mobilize. We have spent much of the last two decades fighting to defend our Contract, in bankruptcy court, on the picket line, and through Member mobilization and public pressure. And, we’ve taken action recently together on major international trade issues that threaten our jobs while at the same time working to advance issues such as meaningful improvements to federal rest requirements that help fight fatigue. We know how to mobilize and we can do it quickly with great impact. We need each of you to be ready to act.

We have devoted countless hours in these negotiations doing the painstaking work of putting together very different Flight Attendant contracts and blending very different cultures. As we approach the end of these negotiations we are joining with our CAL and CMI counterparts to pressure United management to do the right thing.      

Let’s hope that United sees the mutual benefit of reaching a deal with us. We’re doing our part to make progress. My resolve is steeled by the support I receive from all of you and the knowledge that if we need to bring the noise, we can and we will.

In Solidarity,

Ken Diaz
President
United Master Executive Council