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An airline passenger checks in at the United Airlines office at Tampa International Airport in Tampa, Florida on January 19, 2022.
octavio jones | Reuters
United Airlines reached tentative agreements with a union representing nearly 30,000 ground workers, the union group said wednesday.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said the two-year tentative agreements cover “best in the industry” wage rates, as well as job protection and some protections against outsourcing roles. Specific terms of the contacts were not disclosed.
The deal comes as United is in talks with unions representing its pilots and flight attendants. Last year, the pilots rejected a preliminary agreement and negotiations have since resumed.
Members of IAM District 141 will receive more details on the tentative agreements, the union said in a statement. The union will soon announce a timetable for a ratification vote.
“Job security and the best salaries in the industry are rightly two top priorities for our members at United Airlines,” said Tom Regan, airline coordinator for IAM Air Transport Territory.
In a statement, IAM District 141 said if the agreements are ratified by members, the union “will resume negotiations one year from the date of ratification of these agreements to negotiate further.”
The two-year tentative agreements cover seven categories of work: fleet service workers, passenger service workers, storekeepers, central load planners, maintenance instructors, fleet technical instructors and security agents.