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| Teamsters picketing at San Francisco International Airport today. |
According to the press statement,
In 2005, UAL took away the pensions for 11,000 professional aviation mechanics, but promised when the company’s financial situation improved they would get their retirement plans back. UAL has since rebounded and is reporting hundreds of millions in profits. The second quarter of 2013 saw UAL earn its highest revenue in history. After a year of stalling, UAL executives broke off contract negotiations without agreeing to the pensions they had promised, and declared that 3,500 mechanics will be forced to pay an additional $300-$500 each month for their health care.UAL mechanic John Lauren, a member of Teamsters Local 856, said they'd weathered the storm with the airline when times were tough, and now management wants to leave them in the cold:
It is insulting that United Airlines is asking me to pay an extra $300-$500 each month for my health care when the company brought in record profits last year. What happened to us being in this together?The 10 airports where mechanics picketed include:
- A.B. Won Pat International Airport Authority, Guam (GUM)
- Honolulu International Airport (HNL)
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
- Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
- Denver International Airport (DEN)
- George Bush Intercontinental/Houston Airport (IAH)
- Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE)
- Dulles International Airport (IAD)
- Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
