United Airways pilots aren’t glad that contract negotiations are nonetheless lingering, they usually expressed their frustration to the CEO in a fairly daring approach.
Picketing United pilots flip their backs on CEO
United Airways pilots have been picketing across the nation in latest weeks. The airline had a board assembly on the 4 Seasons Houston yesterday, and a gaggle of roughly 300 United workers got here to picket the occasion.
As famous by View from the Wing, United CEO Scott Kirby got here out to fulfill the workers who have been there, however they turned their backs on him. They’re fairly happy with it, too, since they particularly Tweeted about this, saying “the corporate has turned its again on pilots, immediately we did the identical.”
For those who ask me, that’s actually not a fantastic search for the union. Clearly administration and the union are (considerably) on completely different pages. Kirby was displaying respect to the pilots by popping out to fulfill them, whereas they disrespected him by turning their backs.
What’s happening with United’s pilot contract?
I feel some context is essential right here. Nearly all the key US airways are at the moment negotiating new pilot contracts, and are fairly near them being finalized. To this point Alaska is the one main airline to have ratified a brand new contract, whereas Delta is fairly shut.
Sure, United pilots have been hoping for a brand new contract for 4 years — negotiations began earlier than the pandemic, however as you’d anticipate, the pandemic wasn’t precisely a good time to barter a brand new contract.
With there now being a pilot scarcity, we’re seeing these negotiations get far more critical, as all pilots are searching for an industry-leading contract.
Since all the “massive three” US carriers are negotiating without delay, there’s fairly a little bit of benchmarking happening. Pilots at every airline after all need to see what the competitors is negotiating, as a result of they need that too.
Whereas a tentative settlement had been reached between United and its pilots a number of weeks again, pilots ended up wanting a greater deal, after they noticed what was being negotiated at different airways. I belief that United administration and the union will be capable to quickly come to an settlement for a fantastic new contract.
Personally, Scott Kirby is the key airline CEO in america that I respect essentially the most. He has been extraordinarily respectful to frontline workers, and he has even been in favor of pilots getting massive pay raises. Following the small print of Delta’s tentative new settlement not too long ago being made public, Kirby made it clear that United should provide one thing related, and he views that as an excellent factor when it comes to retaining expertise.
So a contract is coming shortly, and Kirby actually doesn’t deserve all of the blame for this dragging on. The pilots wouldn’t have gotten what they needed in the event that they ratified a contract at the beginning of the pandemic, and the pilots are additionally in all probability glad about with the ability to see what pilots at Delta and different airways are in a position to negotiate.
Backside line
United Airways CEO Scott Kirby got here out to fulfill picketing pilots yesterday, they usually turned their backs on him. They appear fairly happy with this, suggesting that the corporate has ignored the wants of pilots for years, so that is payback.
I’m positive United and its pilots may have a brand new contract shortly, which can doubtless embrace a big pay increase upon signing, plus even a retroactive pay increase.
What do you make of how United pilots handled Kirby?
