United Mechanics Ratify New Contract

Mechanics at United Airlines have ratified a joint collective bargaining agreement, a move which puts in place one of the last pieces in the integration of United and Continental Airlines.

The mechanics, represented by the Teamsters union, will now be covered by a single contract for the first time since the airlines merged in 2010.

The agreement, which has been under negotiation for three years, is a six-year deal that will put the mechanics 2 percent above the highest compensation in the airline industry every two years. There will also be a signing bonus worth tens of thousands of dollars, the union said.

“This contract represents the largest contract for a mechanics group in airline industry history,” Teamsters airline division director Captain David Bourne said. “It is a package worth a collective USD$1.7 billion in improvements in compensation and benefits over the current agreement.”

United’s chief executive Oscar Munoz said the vote “is a milestone that marks the beginning of a new, exciting journey for this airline.”

With this deal, covering around 9,000 mechanics, United has now reached agreement with every domestic unionised work group this year.