AMFA Files With NMB For United Membership.

Business Editors

LACONIA, N.H .--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 30, 2001

UAL's Organizing Committee filed today with the National Mediation Board (NMB) representation dispute on behalf of its mechanics and related employees. They seek to replace their current union representation with the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA).

In order to call for an election, the Organizing Committee must file a minimum of 50% plus one signature cards for the NMB to hold a representation election. After filing, the NMB will compare a UAL Company roster to the filed cards to ensure the appropriate number of cards has been filed. Once it has been determined that enough cards have been filed, the NMB will then call for an election. This process will most likely take at least one month to conclude.

"Presenting the authorization cards today to the NMB is the culmination of several years of hard work by UAL mechanics and related employees. The IAM-UAL members collected the cards themselves in a nationwide grassroots movement. No organizers have been paid by AMFA. There are fundamental differences in how AMFA and the IAM operate and the mechanics and related employees of UAL see these differences as instrumental in their own current situations," said O.V.Delle-Femine, AMFA National Director.

Some of these fundamental differences include:

-- Under AMFA's Constitution their pension plan is not administered through the
union - under their current contract proposal, the IAM has insisted on company
contributions to the IAM National Pension Fund

-- AMFA negotiations are open to any member - IAM negotiations are secret and
members are not allowed to observe

-- AMFA has no secret letters of agreement in which concessionary pay cuts or
programs can be negotiated in a contract

-- AMFA union leadership can be recalled at anytime - IAM union leadership
cannot

Delle-Femine continued, "UAL mechanics feel they know more about the NWA-AMFA negotiations than they do their own negotiations. There is also a feeling the IAM will `rob Peter to pay Paul' at the expense of skilled mechanics to satisfy the unskilled majority members."

If AMFA is successful in winning the election, members will have a choice to continue where the IAM left off on its current negotiation effort or submit different proposals.

AMFA's craft union represents over 11,000 aircraft maintenance technicians and related support personnel. Their credo is "safety in the air begins with quality maintenance on the ground." To learn more about AMFA, visit their website at www.amfanatl.org.