CHICAGO -- United Airlines' 9,000 mechanics narrowly ratified a new contract Monday, the first joint contract for the group since United combined workforces with Continental Airlines in a merger six years ago.
Just 51.58 percent of the mechanics voted in favor of the deal, International Brotherhood of Teamsters spokesman Kara Deniz said.
According to the Teamsters, the roughly $6 billion contract will run about $1.7 billion above the cost of the current mechanics contracts over its six-year term.
The agreement includes $185 million in retroactive pay, with an average payment of $20,500 per employee.
All employees also will get defined benefit pension plans, Teamsters representative Bob Fisher said when a tentative agreement was announced in September.
Under the new contract, mechanics get a smaller cut of any profits United earns. The union said the negotiating committee settled on a contract that would provide better wages and higher guaranteed pay.
The narrow majority was a major swing from a February contract proposal an overwhelming 93 percent of mechanics voted against.
Business on 12/06/2016