CHICAGO, Oct. 16, 2008 – United Airlines announced that as of today 322 employees represented by the International Association of Machinists (IAM) have taken advantage of the Early Out and Voluntary Furlough programs agreed to by the company and the union.
Since July, when United announced significant capacity reductions, resulting in the need for 7,000 fewer positions, the company has been working with all unions representing its employees to explore viable alternatives to reduce furloughs. More than 1,500 flight attendants represented by the Association of Flight Attendants have taken advantage of a voluntary furlough program, completely eliminating the need for involuntary furloughs for flight attendants. The company also offered furlough mitigation to pilots and mechanics, and approximately 200 pilots and 100 mechanics have taken advantage of the program to date.
“In this challenging economic environment, we are focused on working with our unions to identify options that work for our employees and our business, and we are pleased we have been able to limit the number of involuntary furloughs, protecting jobs for our people,” said Scott Dolan, senior vice president – Airport Operations and Cargo.
The IAM programs, which were initially offered in July and again in September, have so far reduced the number of involuntary furloughs among IAM employees by nearly 40 percent. Eligible participants will receive benefits such as severance payments based on years of service and travel benefits.
About United
United Airlines (NASDAQ: UAUA) operates more than 3,200* flights a day on United and United Express to more than 200 U.S. domestic and international destinations from its hubs in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Chicago and Washington, D.C. With key global air rights in the Asia-Pacific region, Europe and Latin America, United is one of the largest international carriers based in the United States. United also is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides connections for our customers to 975 destinations in 162 countries worldwide. United's 55,000 employees reside in every U.S. state and in many countries around the world. News releases and other information about United can be found at the company's Web site at united.com.
*Based on the flight schedule between Jan. 1, 2008 and Dec. 31, 2008.
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