Release
#UAL-041216
December 16, 2004
United
Pilot Leaders Accept, Endorse Tentative Agreement with Company
ROSEMONT,
ILL. December 16, 2004--The United Master Executive Council, the governing body
of the United Chapter of the Air Line Pilots Association, today accepted the
tentative agreement between ALPA and United Airlines with its unanimous
recommendation that the agreement be ratified.
The
MEC took this action in lieu of accepting the Company’s Section 1113 term
sheet. The MEC concluded that a negotiated settlement - not a litigated outcome
- best serves the careers of United’s 6,400 pilots.
"Following
the Restructuring Agreement in May 2003, which brought dramatic wage cuts and
changes to our work rules, the last thing we wanted was the prospect of another
round of concessionary negotiations," UAL-MEC Chairman Mark Bathurst said.
“The realities of the airline industry require decisive action to take United
out of bankruptcy, and the MEC has taken that action today.
“We
were faced with a tough choice: negotiate with the Company to reach a consensual
agreement that would inevitably involve further concessions, or proceed in the
bankruptcy court where we faced a dangerous risk of an imposed, and totally
unacceptable, outcome.” Bathurst added, “The MEC, following careful study
and analysis, determined that the responsible approach to protect our careers is
to enter into a consensual agreement with the Company.”
The
Tentative Agreement will now be submitted to the full pilot group for a
ratification vote.
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Contacts
Dave
Kelly 847/292-1708 |
Captain
Herb Hunter 954/757-4067 |
Captain
Steve Derebey 815/341-4629 |