Teamsters members working for United Airlines voted to strike Tuesday after rejecting the latest and final contract proposal from the company.
The union represents over 9,000 mechanics working for the airline. The mechanics voted overwhelmingly to reject the contract proposal before voting to go on strike. The primary issue is compensation with the union denouncing a plan to break workers into a two-tier wage system. The union is now petitioning the National Mediation Board to give workers the legal authority to go on strike.
“The membership voted strongly against this substandard agreement,” Teamsters Airline Division Director Capt. David Bourne said in a statement. “The idea of implementing B-Scale wages for incoming mechanics is unacceptable.”
The airline and union have been in negotiations since 2012 with compensation remaining a primary point of disagreement. The union denounced the airline Oct. 2 for continuously trailing behind industry standards for compensation despite record profits. Federal mediators were brought in to resolve the dispute in 2013 but the two sides were still unable to arrive at an agreement.
“There is no need to place the financial burden for this agreement on the backs of future mechanics,” Bourne continued. “Executives at United Airlines are being compensated with million-dollar packages and the mechanics deserve their fair share.”
The National Mediation Board has reportedly scheduled a meeting Mar. 3 with the airline and union in Washington D.C. The meeting is likely the last chance to avoid a strike. The airline is hopeful an agreement can still be reached despite being on the verge of a strike after years of disagreements.
“Negotiations can be difficult, and although we are disappointed by this outcome we are eager to get right back to the table,” United Airline President Oscar Munoz said in a statement. “Our technicians are the best in the business, making our product and operation better and more reliable every day. I will personally meet with our labor leaders to make sure we reach an agreement that will work for our technicians.”
Munoz was named president Sept. 8 and jumped right into the labor dispute. United Airlines has had to negotiate contracts with several large unions since merging with Continental Airlines in 2010. Airlines employ a wide range of workers and so they often have to work with many different types of unions.
The airline reached a two-year contract extension Jan. 22 with the Air Line Pilots Association. It also reached an agreement Feb. 16 with the Professional Airline Flight Control Association.
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