The Association of Flight Attendants at United Airlines said yesterday that it would file an objection to the airline's request of a bankruptcy judge to allow it to pay up to $9.5 million in retention bonuses to as many as 600 computer technicians. þþUnited, a unit of the UAL Corporation, made the request in a filing in bankruptcy court last Thursday. The airline said the bonuses were needed to keep workers from leaving to join other companies. þþBut Greg Davidowitch, president of the flight attendants' union, said in a written statement yesterday that the need for the bonuses was ÿfabricatedÿ because ÿpeople who are committed to United's future success are not leaving the company in any greater numbers than among other employee groups.ÿ þþThe flight attendants voted in April to take concessions worth $314 million a year over six years. In total, United has wrested $2.56 billion in annual concessions from its workers while trying to restructure in bankruptcy court.þþUAL filed for bankruptcy protection in December.þþ
Source: NY Times
