Pilots Union Protests United Airlines’ Outsourcing Plan

“Joint venture agreements that allow American jobs to be outsourced in the midst of attempting to recover from the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression cannot be allowed. Now is not the time to make it easier to ship jobs overseas,” Rep. Tim Bishop said.

Roughly 200 unionized pilots representing five different airlines spent their St. Patrick’s Day Wednesday picketing United Airline’s Chicago headquarters because of a joint venture between the company and an Irish airline that would result in the outsourcing of some pilot jobs, according to The Chicago Tribune.

Beginning March 28, United Airlines plans to enter into a limited partnership with Irish airline Aer Lingus. Under the proposed agreement, United would provide marketing, a feed of passengers, and equally split the costs of establishing and maintaining a new route between Washington’s Dulles International Airport and Madrid. Aer Lingus would provide the pilots, planes and many of the staff.

“For the pilots and flight attendants, our concern is that this ‘joint venture’ is just a harbinger of things to come. United Airlines management has clearly demonstrated that they have no qualms about outsourcing our flying,” The Association of Flight Attendants and Airline Pilots Association said in a joint statement.

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