IAM leaders met last week in Washington, D.C. with senior management representatives from Continental Airlines and United Airlines to discuss the proposed merger’s potential impact on pensions, job security and union representation for 26,000 IAM members at both carriers.
Taking part in the meeting were Transportation GVP Robert Roach, Jr., District 141 President Rich Delaney, District 142 President Tom Higginbotham and staff from the IAM Transportation and Legal departments.
The IAM representatives pressed for specific details about how the two airlines intend to integrate pensions at a combined carrier. Continental flight attendants, ramp service and public contact employees all participate in Continental’s company-sponsored defined benefit pension plan, while IAM-represented fleet and public contact employees at United earn benefits in the IAM National Pension Plan. United’s flight attendants do not have a defined benefit plan.
The Machinists union is not taking a position on the merger at this time. The union’s support or opposition of the merger proposal rests on the outcome of ongoing contract negotiations and how IAM members will be impacted by the merger.
Click here for more information about the proposed United-Continental merger.
