United, flight attendants near deal on new joint contract, first since 2010

CHICAGO – United Airlines and a negotiating team for the company’s 25,000 flight attendants have agreed on terms of a new contract, the Association of Flight Attendants said in a statement on its website. It would be the first joint contract for the airline’s flight attendants since the 2010 merger between United and Continental Airlines.

The language will be finalized this weekend before the agreement is sent to a council of elected local leaders representing the United flight attendants for approval Monday, the AFA union said.

A tentative agreement would only be official if that council votes to back the proposed labor agreement. At that point it would be sent to union members for a vote.

Ratification would mean flight attendants from United and Continental would no longer operate under different work rules.

United employees including airport workers, security officers and other staffers ratified a new contract in April. The airline also recently negotiated separate deals with its pilots and dispatchers but is still working on a deal with its 9,000 mechanics.

At the company’s annual shareholder meeting this month, where flight attendants and mechanics picketed, CEO Oscar Munoz said the airline’s labor issues remain a top priority.

“Today’s agreement honors the invaluable role that our flight attendants contribute to United’s success and brings us closer than ever to uniting them under a single contract,” United CEO Oscar Munoz said in a news release. “It’s been a long journey and I’m grateful to our outstanding flight attendants – the most talented and professional inflight team anywhere in the world – for all they do to keep our customers safe and comfortable.”