US Senator Bernie Sanders Makes Request of United Airlines CEO

As the U.S. government becomes more involved in the airline industry, a United States Senator is asking the CEO of a major airline to become more involved with talks regarding his flight attendants.

Bernie Sanders (Ind., Vermont) has requested the personal involvement of United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby in contract negotiations with flight attendants.

The two sides have been at it for almost four years.

There have been no pay raises during that time. Sanders is one of 24 lawmakers who signed a letter asking for Kirby to become involved. The contract negotiations cover more than 24,000 crew members.

“We encourage you to negotiate urgently to reach an agreement that recognizes these workers’ vital contributions to United Airlines,” the letter, co-signed by well-known Senators, including Charles Schumer, Richard Blumenthal and Elizabeth Warren, reads. “While United Flight Attendants have been working for nearly four years without a raise or any improvements to their contract, the airline has yielded billions in profits.”

The letter notes that Kirby’s compensation has gone up more than 90 percent during that time. It also mentions that a change in presidential administration could affect negotiations.

Negotiations, which do not resume until January, have become very contentious.

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