United Airlines Proposes Rolling Back Key Contract Gains

When 71% of United Airlines flight attendants rejected their tentative contract in July, they sent a clear message: a 27% pay increase doesn't cut it when you've lost 25% of your purchasing power to inflation over five years of working without a raise.

Now United flight attendants are discovering what happens when you vote "no" and send negotiators back to the table.

Federal mediation talks between United Airlines and the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA) took an unexpected turn last week when management proposed rolling back provisions that had been agreed to in the rejected July tentative agreement (TA1), a move the union described as reducing the overall value of any new contract.

The December 9-12 mediation sessions in Chicago, which were intended to build toward an improved Tentative Agreement 2 (TA2), instead saw United put forward proposals that would eliminate gains flight attendants thought were already secured, including paid time off improvements, reserve protections, and international reassignment pay.

United’s Negotiating Playbook

In an update released on December 12th following the conclusion of last week's talks, the AFA negotiating committee revealed that United had arrived at the bargaining table with what the union characterized as "a list of concessions, all of which we rejected in TA1."

The airline's proposals included:

• Complete elimination of the scope sideletter that protects flight attendant work

• A revised PBS (Preferential Bidding System) sideletter described as "worse than the one we rejected during TA1 bargaining"

• Elimination of PTO (Paid Time Off), reserve override, and reduced reserve guarantee

• Removal of the 15-minute vacation credit improvement that was included in TA1

• Weakening hotel standards by reverting from 17 hours to 19 hours for downtown accommodations while reintroducing "downtown-like" language that crews strongly opposed

• Elimination of reassignment pay on international pairings

"Contrary to management's assertions in their communication, these were not options but actual proposals to make our Contract worse," the union stated, dismissing any notion that United was holding back a better offer.

Computer Says No 

The reintroduction of Preferential Bidding System language represents a particularly contentious issue. PBS replaces the traditional system where senior crew members select trip lines with an algorithm-driven process that assigns schedules based on layered preferences.

Put simply: instead of picking the exact trips you want, you tell a computer your preferences and it assigns you a schedule that theoretically matches them, but rarely gives you exactly what you would have chosen yourself.

While PBS is no doubt appealing to airlines - reducing unassigned trips and manual work costs - flight attendants frequently object to what they perceive as an opaque, disempowering system that prioritizes efficiency over choice. The fact that United is proposing a "worse" version than what was already rejected in July signals how far apart the two sides remain on fundamental work rules.

United’s Misleading Missive

Adding to tensions, United sent an email to flight attendants on December 11th - while negotiations were still ongoing - suggesting talks had concluded for the week. The union described this as "misleading" since mediation was scheduled to continue through Friday. The AFA noted that standard practice would be to communicate only after negotiations had actually ended.

The premature corporate communication appeared designed to shape the narrative around the talks, prompting the union to issue its own detailed update to correct the record.

Some Progress Amid the Posturing

Despite the confrontational opening positions, the union reported making headway on several targeted improvements during last week's sessions:

Sit rig pay: Progress was made on addressing excessive unpaid ground time between flight segments - a key concern that contributed to the July contract rejection.

Red-eye flying: Productive discussions occurred around limiting the combination of multiple legs with overnight flights, with the union expressing optimism about future progress.

Reserve Availability Periods (RAPs): Management proposed reducing RAP lengths, though this came paired with ‘unacceptable reductions’ to guarantees and reserve override, plus a two-hour call-out requirement in most bases. The union acknowledged the RAP reduction as "at least a step in the right direction" while rejecting the accompanying concessions.

Non-economic improvements: Several issues around hotel language and electronic notification requirements were resolved during the week's sessions.

The Core Dispute: Robbing Peter to Pay Paul?

The fundamental disagreement centers on overall contract value. United's position, according to the union, is that "the overall value of the Tentative Agreement must match the prior TA”- meaning any improvements in one area must be offset by concessions elsewhere.

The AFA is pushing for an agreement with higher total value, reflecting both the pay increases necessary to close the 35% gap with Delta and American flight attendants and the work rule improvements members demanded when they rejected TA1.

"United Flight Attendants are being paid far below the industry now and we need economic improvements now," the union stated, signaling that next month's sessions focusing on economic 

provisions will be critical.

What Happens Next

The next negotiating session in January will concentrate on key economic and work rule provisions. The union has committed to "pushing the negotiations forward" while fighting for "the best agreement we can.”

To demonstrate member solidarity and increase pressure on management, the AFA is organizing informational picketing for January 15th, with details to be provided soon. Union leadership is asking all flight attendants to wear red pins as a visible sign of unity heading into the holiday travel period and the crucial January negotiations.

The Bigger Picture

United's aggressive bargaining tactics suggest the airline believes it holds at least some leverage, possibly betting that flight attendants' frustration with stagnant wages since 2020 will eventually force acceptance of a contract that merely matches TA1's value rather than exceeding it.

However, the 71% rejection of the July agreement demonstrated that crew members are willing to wait for meaningful improvements rather than accept incremental gains that still leave them substantially behind industry standards.

With inflation having eroded 25% of flight attendants' real earnings since 2021, and competitors such as non-unionized Delta continuing to raise wages, United faces a workforce that sees catching up to peers as non-negotiable, not a bargaining chip to trade away for scheduling efficiency.

Last week's frosty mediation sessions have dispelled any notion that reaching TA2 would be straightforward. The question now is whether this is United's actual position, or just table-setting for concessions that look generous by comparison?

Either way, the path to TA2 ratification appears considerably longer and more contentious than either side anticipated.

USTN will continue its coverage of the negotiations as they develop. Stay tuned.