Some 150 airline pilots from United marched on United Continental Holding’s headquarters in downtown Chicago yesterday protesting slow-going negotiations over a new contract.
United pilots have been in contract negotiations since April 2009 and their Continental counterparts since April 2008. Both groups are focused on winning a combined contract that would replace their current concessionary pacts forged years ago during a time of financial duress.
Halli Mulei, a United first officer and spokeswoman for the Air Line Pilots Association branch at United, said her group's 6,500 pilots took huge pay cuts and lost their pensions when United was in bankruptcy a decade ago. "We want our sacrifices to be recognized," she said. "We want a contract now."
A United spokeswoman said that the company is "committed to reaching agreements quickly, but those agreements must be fair to the company and fair to employees."
United pilots protest over slow contract negotiations
