United pilots picketed outside Cleveland Hopkins International Airport Friday, demanding better wages and working conditions from the airline as travel rebounds post-pandemic.
Cleveland’s was one of several nationwide demonstrations, as United has failed to give pay raises for four years.
“We’ve recovered profitability since the pandemic,” said United pilot and union representative Joe Morowitz. “Our competitors, their pilots are getting pilot contracts, but our management is still dragging their feet in negotiation.”
Dozens of employees lined up, holding signs with slogans like, “Contract First, United second,” as the company continues to lose some of its more than 200 pilots in Cleveland to other airlines, Morowitz said.
“The airlines that don’t have industry leading pay, benefits and work rules, are going to have a hard time finding pilots and keeping pilots,” Morowitz said.
It’s not just about compensation: Morowitz said it’s also a demand for work-life balance. He's spent more time traveling and working than he has at home: something that doesn’t make it attractive for “hundreds” of first officers to take promotions to captains.
“We want to restore and give a good quality of life, work-life, home-life balance that would bring more people into the profession and retain people in the profession,” Morowitz said.
Pilots are not yet calling for mediation or strikes, but that may be an option if a contract is not negotiated soon.
Cleveland’s demonstration joined pickets at United hubs in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco. In 2014, the airline dehubbed from Cleveland, axing two-thirds of its flights from the airport and laying off 160 employees, while another 207 were transferred to other airports, took buy-outs or retired.
United told Ideastream Public Media that flights will not be affected by the pickets and the airline will continue to work toward a deal with the pilots’ union.
