Teamsters launch new billboard campaign blasting United Airlines for relying on China to fix its aircraft

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is launching a new billboard campaign blasting United Airlines for outsourcing their aircraft maintenance to China. 

The campaign will include billboards in Chicago at Willis Tower and O’Hare International Airport, as well as one at Newark International Airport and the United Airlines Flight Training Center in Denver. “Would you trust a majority Chinese-owned company with aircraft repairs?” the billboard ad questions. “United Airlines does.”

The campaign comes after 99.5% of Teamsters voted against a contract proposal last month from United that the labor union’s leadership said would have outsourced more jobs to China.

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A February letter from the United Airlines Teamsters pointed out that approximately 85% of United’s heavy maintenance is outsourced to repair companies in China and South America. 

“Teamsters at United Airlines are putting this company on notice: we will accept nothing less than an industry-leading contract that keeps jobs in America,” Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien said following the union’s rejection of United’s proposal.

“United’s greedy executives disrespected our members with an insulting, un-American proposal last month. It’s time for this company to stop playing games and put real proposals on the table — ones that don’t outsource jobs to China but deliver the dignity and respect our members have earned.”

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The Teamsters Union represents over 10,000 United Airlines aviation maintenance technicians (AMTs) across the United States.

In addition to calling for an end to the practice of outsourcing aircraft maintenance to other countries, United Airlines Teamsters are calling for better pay they argue is more in-line with industry standards and faster wage-progression.

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“United Airlines is one of the most profitable in the entire industry, yet it refuses to reward the workers responsible for those profits with a fair contract,” Chris Griswold, Director of the Teamsters Airline Division, said following a Teamsters rally at Orlando International Airport on Friday. “We will continue to hold United’s feet to the fire until it recognizes the indispensable role United Airlines Teamsters play in the carrier’s success and the safety of the flying public.”

Fox Business reached out to United Airlines for comment, but did not receive a response in time for publication.

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