This article from NYTimes.com has been sent to you by psa188@juno.com. United Unions to Offer Concessions September 14, 2002 By EDWARD WONG The unions at United Airlines said yesterday that they would offer a proposal for concessions to the carrier late next week to help it obtain a federal loan guarantee. The unions conveyed their intentions in a letter sent yesterday afternoon to Glenn F. Tilton, the chief executive of UAL, the carrier's parent. United said it was encouraged by its conversations with the unions, even though it would not have concession agreements by Monday, which it had set as a deadline. Mr. Tilton's predecessor, John W. Creighton Jr., set that deadline last month, when he said he wanted $1.5 billion in annual concessions over six years from United's workers to avoid bankruptcy. But the unions have called that figure excessive. They quickly formed a coalition to come up with a counteroffer. Mr. Creighton had said the agreements were needed by Monday in order to update a business plan that is part of an application to the federal government for a $1.8 billion guarantee for $2 billion in private loans. The Air Transportation Stabilization Board, which administers the loan guarantee program, wants United to obtain deeper concessions from workers and suppliers to ensure that the carrier can repay the loan. "At this point in our process, we intend to provide the company with an alternative framework by approximately Sept. 19, 2002," the letter to Mr. Tilton said. "We are confident that the alternative framework will enable the company to provide the A.T.S.B. with supplemental materials in support of the company's pending application," it said, "and trust that you will take steps to ensure that the company can file such materials after Sept. 16." Joe Tiberi, a spokesman for the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, which represents 35,000 employees at United, said the unions had not yet completed their proposal. The financial advisers for each of the unions were having regular meetings, but the union leaders have not set a date to meet, Mr. Tiberi said. http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/14/business/14AIR.html?ex=1033023927&ei=1&en=e7ecc02849bfaf48 HOW TO ADVERTISE --------------------------------- For information on advertising in e-mail newsletters or other creative advertising opportunities with The New York Times on the Web, please contact onlinesales@nytimes.com or visit our online media kit at http://www.nytimes.com/adinfo For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com. Copyright 2002 The New York Times Company