Tell United Airlines: Your Engineers Deserve a Contract!

When engineers at United Airlines decided more than two years ago to form a union to protect hard-won benefits and earn a livable wage, the company responded by refusing to honor the decision of its workers by failing to reach a first contract agreement.

Tell United CEO Glenn Tilton and United’s partner airlines in the Star Alliance how outraged you are that the pensions and retirement benefits that matter so much to these employees are now being threatened. Worse yet, the workers “give-backs” come at the same time that Tilton negotiated a $4.5 million pension for himself that cannot be taken away.

Additionally, as consumers many of us have United Airlines Mileage Plus accounts which are now being threatened since United is not bound to retain the program by U.S. bankruptcy laws.

Take action right now!

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Tell United Not to Take Away Retirement Benefits from Its Engineers

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I am deeply concerned by United Airlines' stated plan to take away retirement and pension benefits from more than 300 of its engineers.

United tries to get away with this by misusing bankruptcy laws. Before placing the company in bankruptcy, United CEO Glenn Tilton guaranteed himself a $4.5 million retirement package. Furthermore, although Tilton recently assured Mileage Plus customers the program is in full effect, United is not bound to retain the program by U.S. bankruptcy laws. If these workers can lose their pensions, who's to say that United customers won't also lose their Mileage Plus accounts?

I call on you to urge United to do the right thing and allow its engineers to secure a contract agreement that allows them to hold onto their retirement benefits.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
December 22, 2004


Background Information

Millions of travelers will take to the skies this holiday season. But the skies are not so friendly for the workers at bankrupt United Airlines. That is why United’s engineers are asking you to take action by sending a fax to the Star Alliance expressing your concern about the airline’s plan to terminate United’s employee pension plan. The Star Alliance brings together 15 airline carriers all over the world.

More than two years after voting to form a union with the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) to improve working conditions, more than 300 engineers, technologists and specialists for United Airlines continue to wait for a first contract.

Under U.S. bankruptcy law, company CEO Glen Tilton will transfer between $1.7 and $8 billion dollars of United’s pension obligations to the federal government’s Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. That pension protection agency said its deficit had more than doubled to $23.3 billion in fiscal year 2004. United’s workers are extremely worried the funds simply won’t be there when they need them.

Additionally, workers are outraged Tilton secured his own $4.5 million pension before the company declared bankruptcy. In September, 138 elected officials sent a letter to Tilton urging him to avoid pension plan termination and return the plan to adequate funding levels as soon as possible.

We are contacting Star Alliance because we are concerned not only about making sure United’s engineers have a secure retirement and a fair contract, but also as consumers many of us have United Airlines Mileage Plus accounts that are now being threatened since United is not bound to retain the program by U.S. bankruptcy laws.