For over two decades, United Airlines Teamsters at the San Francisco Maintenance Center's Engine Shop have been contracted to maintain and repair the Pratt & Whitney F117 engines that power the C-17 Globemaster for the U.S. Air Force. This work is a source of pride for technicians at SFO, many of whom are U.S. military veterans. However, United recently announced that it will not renew its contract with Pratt & Whitney after it expires in 2027, ending work for Teamsters on the C-17 Globemaster and impacting over 100 technicians at SFO who are currently working on F117 engines. 

“It is outrageous that United Airlines decided unilaterally not to extend this contract with Pratt & Whitney. This decision was made without consulting the Teamsters who are on the ground working on these engines, who would have raised objections to it. It’s unacceptable and unpatriotic,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien. 

The Teamsters are demanding the company hold a town hall with United upper-level management to address rank-and-file members at SFO regarding the loss of the Pratt & Whitney contract and additional concerns with the carrier outsourcing work. 

“We have already seen our work on United planes outsourced to other countries, so the news that the company is ending our only non-United work in San Francisco is extremely upsetting,” said Fred Wood, a machinist at SFO and member of Teamsters Local 986. “United needs to meet with us in-person now so that we can raise our concerns directly.”