OREANDA-NEWS. United and the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers (IAM) reached tentative agreements today on new contracts for all of the airline's nearly 30,000 IAM-represented employees.

The seven agreements cover airport operations employees, contact center agents, storekeepers, maintenance instructors, central load planners, fleet technical instructors and related employees, and security officers who are represented by IAM.

"As I visit our airport locations I'm always impressed with the passion and professionalism of our IAM-represented team," said Oscar Munoz, the airline's president and chief executive officer. "They take great care of our customers and each other every day, and we are excited to reach this agreement. A special thank you to the negotiating teams for all of their hard work as well."

The parties reached these agreements following just four months of negotiations and are between nine months and two and a half years in advance of the current contracts' amendable dates. Each tentative agreement would be effective through 2021 and is now subject to ratification by the company's IAM-represented employees.

United has joint collective bargaining agreements covering the majority of its represented work groups. Recently, United's pilots voted to ratify a contract extension more than a year ahead of their contract's amendable date, following an expedited negotiations process with the Air Line Pilots Association. The company's dispatchers also voted recently to ratify a contract extension. Additionally, the airline is engaged in mediated negotiations with the Association of Flight Attendants and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.