Why did UAL's workers switch unions?

[jiacinto]

http://www.ual.com/press/detail/0,1442,51154,00.html

CHICAGO, July 14, 2003 - United Airlines, Inc. (OTCBB: UALAQ) issued the following statement by Sara Fields, United's Senior Vice President - People, in response to the National Mediation Board's (NMB)announcement today that United's mechanics and related employees voted to change their union representation to the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA):

snip

These employees were formerly represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, District Lodge 141M (IAM 141M). Sixty-three percent (8,239 of 13,144) of the eligible group voted; of the eligible employees who voted, 64% (5,234) voted in favor of representation by AMFA. The NMB, a federal agency that oversees union negotiations and elections in the airline industry, tallied the final count in Washington, D.C., shortly after the polls officially closed today at 2 PM EDT.
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So why did they switch

[jiacinto]

1. kick

nt

[LeftCoast]

2. I could hazard a guess

UAL was an employee-owned company. Supposedly. The employee unions were represented on the board of directors. Despite this, there was (and frankly still is) an extreme disconnect between the rank and file employees and management. The union representatives on the board did nothing in all their years to solve any of these problems. Now UAL employees are looking at worthless stock (ie. retirement), no representation on the new board and STILL may be out of a job in six months.

This is what I hear from rank and file UAL folks here in the Bay Area anyway.