Wage Increase for United Airlines Teamsters Technicians Thanks to Industry Reset

Dear United Airlines Teamsters,

We’re proud to share that the United Airlines Technicians Industry Reset Model has once again delivered a wage increase for Teamsters technicians and related roles at United. This marks the third time your contract’s reset provision has triggered an increase since 2020. No other union in the airline industry has a mechanism like this — it’s unique to your Teamsters contract and a testament to the strength of hard-won language.

The reset is a powerful tool designed to ensure that the total value of United technicians’ core contract elements — like pay, benefits, work rules, profit sharing, and retirement contribution — remains at least 2 percent above the average value of the same group of elements for American and Delta technicians. 

This model prevents United from dragging out negotiations for years while your wages remain stagnant during contract negotiations. It ensures the overall value of your compensation and benefits not only meets but exceeds industry standards. While other airline workers may be left stuck at the same wages for years on end, your contract guarantees action.

The reset model runs every 24 months following contract ratification, and every 12 months after the amendable date. If the results indicate that the total value of your contract falls short of the 2 percent threshold, your basic wages are adjusted upward by the amount necessary to make up the difference. This model can only raise wages — it can never reduce them.

The reset has now been run a total of five times: in 2018, 2020, 2022, 2024, and 2025. This is the third time the reset has triggered basic wage increases — members saw a 7.08 percent increase in December 2020 in the depths of the covid crisis, and a 2.6 percent increase in December 2022. Now, in 2025, preliminary results show a significant adjustment to your basic wages will be required to reach the 2 percent threshold above the Delta and American average. As a result, your basic wages will be adjusted upward between 5.7 and 6.8 percent, effective on November 30, 2025.

This reset didn’t come from United’s generosity. It came from the work you and your bargaining committee have done to negotiate and enforce one of the strongest contracts in the industry. While work continues toward securing a new agreement, the reset ensures progress doesn’t stall. This is an example of what effective representation looks like — and why Teamsters power matters. 

In Solidarity,
Teamsters Airline Division