United Airlines Kitchen Workers Vote Yes on Unionization

Workers in United Airlines’ catering kitchens in five cities have voted overwhelmingly to unionize with UNITE HERE. In a National Mediation Board election lasting five weeks, 72% of United catering workers voted to join the union. The newly-organized workers number approximately 2,700 and are employed in United Airlines kitchens in Newark, NJ, Houston, Denver, Cleveland, and Honolulu.

The vote paves the way for workers to negotiate a union contract and achieve equality with other United employees. 80% of United’s 88,000 direct employees are unionized. United’s catering employees were the only frontline United workers without union representation.

The United workers also join the 15,000 airline food workers who have led the “Fed Up” campaign across the U.S. airline industry. A majority of these employees will enter into collective bargaining by the end of 2018 and together are demanding a fundamental change in the industry that will finally bring an end to poverty in the kitchens. Read more.