United Maintenance Technicians send a Message to Shareholders, “Contract NOW”
On June 10th,
over 100 UAL / IBT members gathered at Willis Tower in Chicago in a show of
strength and unity to demonstrate frustration with the Company's lack of
urgency in negotiating the promised industry-leading contract for United
Technicians. The picketers were so loud and boisterous at 233 Wacker Drive that
they could be heard in the shareholders meeting being held 10 stories above.
They were so raucous that they could be heard all the way to Lake Michigan,
according to reports of passersby.
Several of the demonstrators
also attended the shareholders meeting. These Teamsters accounted for roughly
half of the total attendees at the meeting. Several of the Teamster members in
attendance asked questions of Jeff Smisek and the Board of Directors, related
to the Company’s finances, governance, and operations. Canned answers were
given and were of no meaningful substance. Meeting attendees believed this
action by the Company showed blatant disrespect for its technician workforce.
Mr. Smisek promised additional time for questions at the end of the meeting
but, contrary to that promise, he and the BOD cut short the promised Q&A
and unceremoniously walked out of the room to jeers from the IBT represented
share owners.
The demonstration and
shareholders meeting activities were coordinated; and advice given, by Carin
Zalenko and Louis Malizia of the IBT Capital Strategies Division, who held a
pre-rally meeting on June 9th that lasted several hours to prepare
those that would be asking questions at the shareholder meeting.
In a press release
prior to the event, rank and file negotiator John Laurin, a 29-year United
Airlines maintenance technician; explained the need for the protest by saying,
“as employees and shareholders of this company, we have a long-term interest in
the success of the airline and it’s time for management to do the right thing
and offer us a well-deserved, industry-leading contract.”
“I would like to
thank all those who attended the event” said Division Representative Bob
Fisher. “In addition, I would like to also thank the Local Principal Officers
for doing whatever it took to get their members to the event in such large
numbers.”
Future activities and
demonstrations are being planned and will be announced when finalized. Rank and
file member cell phone videos of the June 10th demonstration are
posted at:
To view press
coverage of this event, click the links below:
