United Airlines has reached a tentative deal to combine more than 8,600 maintenance workers from United and the former Continental Airlines under one contract.
The deal announced Friday with the Teamsters would boost top pay immediately by 25 percent to an industry-leading $46.15 per hour, and result in 33 percent higher pay by the end of the six-year contract.
Don Wright, United's vice president of maintenance operations, says the plan would also pay employees $100,000 to take early retirement and create an $80 million pool for signing bonuses.
The Teamsters represented mechanics at both airlines before the 2010 merger that created United Continental Holdings Inc.
The company has joint contracts covering pilots and other employees but not flight attendants.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
