United pilots reach tentative agreement to avoid furloughs

United pilots have reached a tentative agreement with the carrier to avoid furloughs until the middle of next year. United’s chapter of pilot union Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) said Wednesday that the agreement is a “temporary lifeline” for the 2,850 United pilots who had been warned their jobs may disappear after 1 October. “This [tentative agreement] underscores our commitment to all 13,000 United pilots and represents the importance of creative solutions needed to mitigate massive layoffs for our pilots,” says the carrier’s pilot union chair Todd Insler. The agreement, which will go to the entire membership for a vote later this month, gives older pilots with more than 10 years’ experience the opportunity to take advantage of further early separation options and adds restrictions on regional carrier flying. It also secures triggers for pay increases as passenger demand returns. If members agree to the conditions, the airline will avoid furloughing any pilots until June 2021. The airline says on 16 September that it continues “to try and reduce the number of involuntary furloughs at United and are now one step closer to saving thousands of pilot jobs”. That will allow it to respond quickly once travel demand returns, the Chicago-based carrier adds. <br/>