In Support of More Diversity and Advancement at United Airlines and Other Air Carriers

Adopted

WHEREAS, millions of African-Americans and other minorities utilize the services of United Airlines and all other domestic air carriers every year; and 

WHEREAS, over 200 African-American pilots and other airline professionals were hired by United Airlines as a result of class action litigation and a consent decree in the 1980s; and 

WHEREAS, an identifiable pattern of racial discrimination and incidents of harassment of African-American pilots by United Airlines management have served to limit or thwart the well deserved advancement of qualified African- Americans and other minority professionals; and 

WHEREAS, the pattern of discrimination has had a disparate impact on the qualified African-American or minority pilots and airline professionals who were passed over for numerous promotions or forced out or locked out of management positions by discriminatory practices; and 

WHEREAS, complaints about the pattern of a lack of promotions for African- Americans and other minorities have been ignored by United Airlines senior management; and 

WHEREAS, current United Airlines CEO Glenn Tilton was a senior level manager with over 20 at the Texaco Corporation when that company was sued in 1994 by six African-American employees for patterns of racial discrimination and thereafter reached a major multimillion dollar settlement in 1996 assisted by pressure from the NAACP and key civil rights activists; and 

WHEREAS, a pattern of racial discrimination in promotions of African-Americans and other minority employees similar to that found evident at the Texaco Corporation in the 1990s became noticeable in the years after Mr. Tilton became CEO of United Airlines in 2002; and 

WHEREAS, a merger between United and Continental Airlines was announced on May 3.2010, and this pending merger is expected to be approved by Department of Justice (DOJ) by the end of the year; and 

WHEREAS, the merging of United and Continental will likely cause the elimination of many management positions with a disparate impact on African- Americans and other minorities; and 

WHEREAS, it is urgent that a new consent decree be negotiated BEFORE the final approval of the planned merger of United and Continental and that decree must establish a strong diversity and inclusion policy supporting the promotion of African-Americans and other minorities into all levels of management to include the position of director, vice president, president or CEO. 

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, (NAACP), actively support, through all available means, and end to all discriminatory procedures and practices or harassment at United Airlines or any airline that has caused a harmful or disparate impact on African-American and other minority employees; and 

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the NAACP support all available legal options to encourage United Airlines and all domestic air carriers to fully compensate all African-American and minority pilots and professionals for lost promotional opportunities or harassment; and immediately adopt effective remedies including policies and procedures that affirmatively consider African-Americans and other minorities for all management and senior management position up to and including CEO and director.