United Airlines begins labor contract negotiations with union

(Reuters) - United Airlines has begun negotiations with the Teamsters union, which is pushing for a new contract covering 10,000 aviation maintenance and related workers in the United States, the labor union said on Tuesday.

The Teamsters National Negotiating Committee is seeking industry-leading wages, a faster timeline for reaching the top pay rate, improved healthcare benefits and higher safety standards.

The negotiations — which have begun four months before the current contract is set to become amendable — come at a time when thousands of maintenance staff members and flight attendants across airlines are demanding higher wages and more benefits after carriers posted record profits helped by a rebound in travel demand post-pandemic.

Separately, United Airlines' flight attendants are set to vote in August on whether to authorize a strike if an agreement on a new employment contract cannot be reached.

(Reporting by Ananta Agarwal in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)