Pressure Mounts as United Airlines Teamsters Push Carrier to Accept Final Non-Economic Proposals

The United Airlines Teamsters National Negotiating Committee continued bargaining with the company on Wednesday in Denver. After reaching a tentative agreement on Article 11: Sick Leave and Occupational Injury on Tuesday, the committee is working to reach agreements on the final two non-economic articles remaining in the contract. These include Article 7: Hours of Service, and the bundled Article 18/19/20: Union Representation, Grievance, and Board of Arbitration.

During Wednesday’s session, the committee submitted additional suggestions for changes to United’s System Board of Adjustment process. The committee is demanding that United agree to include a neutral facilitator during this process to help alleviate the current backlog of Grievance Review Panel cases at the company and prevent future jams during the process.  

“We have a backlog of Grievance Review Panel hearings that need resolution,” said Clacy Griswold, Chairman of the United Airlines Teamsters National Negotiating Committee. “A neutral facilitator can help break these deadlocks and get our members back to work. We’ve been negotiating this process for months—now it’s time for United to meet us on this so we can wrap up non-economic issues and tackle the rest of the contract.”

In addition to having a neutral facilitator for the Grievance Review Panel process, the national negotiating committee is fighting to ensure that the company cannot abuse these procedures by using non-contract language to determine the status of each grievance case.

“In the past, the company has used cracks in the contract to change the process at random and stun our members before we have a chance to state our case,” said Dave Mahood, a technician from Teamsters Local 210 out of Newark Liberty International Airport and member of the negotiating committee. “But the committee is determined to make it so United can’t circumvent the process any longer. We won’t move forward until we can all agree on the same language for our grievance process.”

Negotiations in Denver will continue until Thursday, November 14.