Ladies and Gentlemen:

From day one of the first negotiations following bankruptcy, the United Master Executive Council and our Negotiating Committee have identified and implemented strategies to achieve the priorities you have identified as important in our negotiations.

On June 29, you made the determination that AFA would be the representative for all Flight Attendants at the new United Airlines providing us with the unity needed to move forward in a bold and innovative manner. As the strongest Union for our profession, we are making decisive moves with the energy and determination derived from our election success. We now have an opportunity to advance our current negotiations to a successful conclusion due to your hard work, determination and commitment to our Flight Attendant community. 

AFA Representation builds unity and creates opportunity for all of us at the new United Airlines. Flight Attendants at Continental and Continental Micronesia are now hard at work establishing their own structure within our Union. They are working to enforce their current Contracts and preparing for elections while building unity within their work group. We stand in Solidarity with our Sisters and Brothers while we remain focused on a successful conclusion to our current negotiations. 

During a special meeting of the United Master Executive Council (MEC), we discussed how to best leverage our Solidarity and momentum following our success in the representation election and we have implemented new strategies to achieve our goals. With AFA as the elected representative, the last remaining excuse management laid in our path has been removed. The path forward is clear, there are no more excuses, and we are on our way to achieving incremental improvements to our Contract before beginning joint Contract negotiations. We are in pursuit of an expedited mediated negotiations process that is innovative in its approach and keeps us focused on your top priorities.

This process includes intensive mediation over a short period of time on a limited number of issues. Expedited mediation needs to result in tangible improvements to be put into place before we move into the more complex and comprehensive joint Contract negotiations. This approach should produce a meaningful foundation upon which both Flight Attendants and management will work to achieve a single Contract for all Flight Attendants at the new United Airlines.

Now is our time, together we will do better. By harnessing our leverage resulting from the election, building our unity and focusing our collective energy on achieving our goals, we will capitalize on the opportunity of an expedited negotiations.

In Solidarity,

Greg Davidowitch, President
United Master Executive Council