CE will mimic United's best-known critic as activist feud looms

United Continental Holdings' CE returns to his job Monday after a heart transplant, just as 2 hedge funds threaten to topple his board. His first step: emulating an old friend who is now among the carrier’s chief critics. Oscar Munoz is gathering United’s union leaders for a pep talk on Day 1, picking up where he left off before going on medical leave in October. His focus on employees echoes the approach of Gordon Bethune, who overcame years of acrimony between executives and the workforce when he revived Continental Airlines in the 1990s. Bethune’s now leading an insurgent slate of candidates for United’s board, joining with activist shareholders who last week blasted the airline for years of poor performance. “It’s a page out of Gordon’s book,” said an aviation consultant who worked under Bethune at Continental. <br/>