Slowdown to Continue at United

CHICAGO —  United Airlines’ machinists union said Thursday that it will continue what amounts to a work slowdown against the airline in spite of renewed talks by two of United’s unions to buy the carrier.

However, United spokesman Joe Hopkins said operations were running normally Thursday.

Meanwhile, American Airlines said it kept its promise to get Thanksgiving travelers home, reporting that it was back at full speed after a five-day strike by flight attendants.

“We are running at 100%,” said American spokeswoman Marion DeSisto. “Of course, it is a reduced holiday schedule, but we are running at 100% and expect to do the same Friday.”

Bad weather, however, kept things from running too smoothly Thursday. DeSisto said the winter storm system that brought an odd mix of thunder, lightning and freezing rain and sleet forced the cancellation of at least 20 American flights from Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport.

United’s Hopkins refused to comment on the International Assn. of Machinists’ vow to continue the slowdown.

The machinists union and the Air Line Pilots Assn. agreed Wednesday to sit down once more with United representatives on Dec. 1 in a bid to acquire 60% of the airline’s parent company, UAL Corp.

A third union, the Assn. of Flight Attendants, pulled out from the talks in September after United opened a flight attendants base in Taiwan that cost the union about 60 jobs.

The machinists on Monday ordered a work slowdown by urging their members at United to follow every safety, maintenance and work rule to the letter instead of taking shortcuts that might, for example, get a part fixed more quickly.

“For now, it would appear that we have another shot at gaining an equity interest in United Airlines,” said Michael Peat, a machinists spokesman in Chicago.