United Airlines is under massive pressure after announcing a share buyback program in the wake of its positive third-quarter results. The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), which represents the airline's flight attendants, called the move a "big mistake" and sharply criticized management. In particular, the fact that the flight attendants have not yet signed a new collective bargaining agreement while the company is providing significant funds for share buybacks is the focus of the dispute. Share buybacks instead of new collective bargaining agreement On October 15, 2024, United Airlines announced that the board of directors had approved a share buyback program worth up to $1,5 billion. This comes just weeks after the company announced that it had posted net income of $2024 million in the third quarter of 965. For the first nine months of the year, net income was $2,1 billion, up 7,2% year-on-year. These positive results were welcomed by Wall Street - the airline's share price rose after the announcement. However, the flight attendants' union, represented by its president Sara Nelson and the chairman of the United Airlines Master Executive Council (MEC), Ken Diaz, strongly condemned this move. "United Airlines management has made a big mistake," they said in a joint statement. They stressed that the company is continuing to block the flight attendants' contracts despite the generous share buybacks. This group of employees is the only one at United that has not yet received a new contract, while other groups of employees have already reached new agreements. Flight attendants strike for a new contract On March 28, XNUMX, the flight attendants' union announced that they would strike for a new contract.