United Airlines Pilots Surround Willis Tower During Informational Picket as Company Holds First-Quarter 2023 Earnings Call

CHICAGO—Earlier today, United Airlines pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), conducted an informational picket outside United Airlines headquarters, Willis Tower, as the Company announced total operating revenue of $11.4 billion, up 51.1 percent compared to first-quarter 2022. United pilots have been in contract negotiations for more than five years on a new contract.

“More than 100 United pilots joined us this morning to remind management that it is past time to properly invest in the pilots,” said United ALPA Master Executive Council chair Capt. Garth Thompson.

During today’s earnings call, the Company reiterated that it incurred the estimated cost of a new pilot contract during the first quarter, even as negotiations continue to drag out. In response, Capt. Thompson pointed out, “The first quarter yielded no such agreement; we are ready and waiting for management.”

Some current issues between ALPA and management include:

An antiquated scheduling system that pulls pilots away from their families without notice.
Compensation and retirement benefits that severely lag industry peers. United pilots want to attract the best pilots to the airline.
Management’s unwillingness to recognize sacrifices United pilots made throughout the pandemic.
Actions by management that do not support their public comments that “a deal can be reached in two weeks.”

“Our contract is so outdated that hundreds of captain positions, what has always been the envy of the airline industry, are going unfilled because pilots prioritize transparency in schedules and time with their families more than anything else,” said Capt. Thompson.