The new agreement will see significant improvements for pilots, setting a high benchmark for the other legacy carriers renegotiating their labor deals.
Improvements to Compensation and More
This milestone was confirmed in a statement released on Saturday by United’s Master Executive Council (MEC). Among points of note, the agreement will see United pilots benefit from substantial contractual improvements, including enhancements to signing bonuses and compensation, quality of work-life, vacation time and sick leave. The United MEC has revealed that this agreement will result in around $10 billion in value over the span of the contract. The key points of improvement – as demanded by ALPA on behalf of the pilots it represents – are available to view here.
Clarifying the impetus behind these demands in a recent newsletter to members, the United MEC explained, “This AIP achieves the contractual improvements that you, the Line Pilot, told us you wanted, earned, and deserved. The design of this agreement was developed through extensive pilot-to-representative interactions, polling, surveys, pilot data reporting, and direct communications. Your MEC has guided negotiations throughout this process with the tenet that United Pilots expect and deserve an industry-leading pilot contract.”
Moving Forward with Negotiations
The United MEC has confirmed that negotiators will now work to finalize this agreement. Upon completion, it will be reviewed by the body, who will hold a vote to determine if the AIP will become a tentative agreement. At this point, a tentative agreement would be distributed for ratification by its pilot members. The agreement is not solidified until it is approved by the unionized workforce.
Speaking specifically of this milestone, Captain Garth Thompson, chair of the United ALPA Master Executive Council (MEC), said, “This agreement in principle could not have happened without the steadfast resolve of the 16,000 United pilots. The tireless dedication demonstrated by United pilots over the past several years ensured our solidarity which was instrumental in achieving this historic agreement.”
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Source: frugal travel guy