United Teamsters Begin Fourth Round of Bargaining in Chicago 

The fight for safety and fairness continues as the Teamsters began the fourth round of negotiations with United Airlines in Chicago yesterday. Fresh off last week's partial tentative agreement on field trips, United is already backpedaling, raising objections to the definition of field trips and trying to water down protections for ground service and facility technicians.

But the Teamsters aren’t backing down at the table. “After agreeing to a major safety provision for Teamsters at United last week, the carrier is once again slow-walking negotiations," said Clacy Griswold, Chairman of the United Airlines Teamsters National Negotiating Committee. "For years, our members have been risking their personal safety on these field trips. We won’t rest until every single United Airlines Teamster gets the safety protections they deserve."

Teamsters Demand United Follows Government Guidelines during Severe Weather

United Airlines Teamsters are demanding the carrier address safety concerns around severe weather and emergencies. The union insists the airline follow government guidelines, especially during dangerous events like hurricanes, instead of putting technicians in harm’s way by relying on company policies. Currently, United can force Teamsters to work even when local authorities say it’s too dangerous. Rank-and-file Teamsters on the negotiating committee are calling on the company to prioritize safety in the next contract. 

"United has a troubling habit of ignoring local safety warnings during extreme weather," said Gus Pappas, a member of Teamsters Local 769 serving on the National Negotiating Committee. "Time after time, we are left in the dark with no information from United, unsure if it’s even safe to show up. Safety is our number one priority, and we expect United to care as much about our lives as it does about its passengers.” 

Negotiations in Chicago will continue until September 26.