A group describing itself as current and retired employees of United Airlines has filed a petition on change.org asking for the resignation of the carrier's CEO following reports Monday that United is considering outsourcing another 2,000 jobs.
The Chicago-based carrier outsourced 630 jobs in July - although it also made 400 hires - and is exploring the idea of outsourcing more at 28 different airports across the country. The jobs include baggage handlers, customer service agents and gate agents at non-hub facilities, according to Reuters and the Denver Post.
"We need to ensure that our costs are competitive," company spokesman Luke Punzenberger told Reuters.
That prompted a group calling itself "Our UnitedRetired" to demand action in a filing on change.org
"We, the dedicated active employees and retirees of United Airlines, alongside the frequent fliers, demand the immediate resignation of Jeff Smisek as CEO of United Airlines," petition said. "We demand that he vacates his position on the Board of Directors of United Continental Holdings."
The group noted that Smisek testified before Congress in 2010 during the merger with Continental Airlines and assured the Transportation Committee that everyone but at the executive level would enjoy job security.
"However, since that testimony, he has systematically outsourced thousands of middle class jobs of these dedicated employees, furloughing THOUSANDS! And is about to outsource thousands more. He and his management has alienated thousands of our most loyal customers, our frequent fliers, including our Global Service, 100,000 mile members and Premier Executives," the group wrote in its petition.
"He and his management group have stripped over 40,000 retirees of their earned (no cost to the airline) benefits. The management of the NEW UNITED has not officially notified any of the retirees that their benefits were stripped from them. … United Airlines has just announced cities they plan to outsource to contract labor, forcing employees either to leave their family to relocate to large cities, take a forced early retirement without a pension, or furloughing and find a job in this difficult job market. Most of these employees make less than $20 an hour. Outsourcing is a cancer that must be stopped. Recently in Denver, due to outsourced workers caused delays and problems for tens of thousands of our flying customers. … Jeff Smisek is leading this airline in a direction that we, as employees, as retirees, as customers that does not represent the "Friendly Skies."
"HE MUST RESIGN IMMEDIATELY."
United had no comment.
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