Workers Worry About Jobs, Benefits As United Makes Switch At Newark Airport

NEWARK, NJ — Some unionized workers who service United Airlines planes at Newark Airport are worried they might lose their health care benefits – or jobs – as the company prepares to switch out contractors at the busy travel center.

According to 32BJ SEIU, the airline’s plan to replace Omni-Serv with United Ground Express (UGE) is scheduled to take effect on July 1. It would impact baggage, aircraft transport and security-related workers.

Nearly 250 people are now at risk of losing stable full-time jobs, fully employer-paid health care, dental coverage, legal benefits, paid training and workplace protections they fought years to secure, the union alleged.

“If United truly values safety, reliability, and operational stability, then it must stop balancing profits on the backs of working people,” New Jersey state director Ana Maria Hill said.

A United Airlines spokesperson gave Patch the following reply when reached for comment about the upcoming switch:

“United Ground Express expects to offer jobs to all Omni-Serv employees who previously handled customer service and related work at Newark for United. United Ground Express expects to hire about 250 full-time team members plus up to 300 part-time workers. These are high-quality jobs represented by the International Association of Machinists, and United Ground Express looks forward to welcoming these new employees to the team.”

32BJ SEIU previously raised an outcry when United transitioned from Prospect Aviation to UGE in 2025 – and workers reported reduced hours and lost benefits.

The union has since filed a formal complaint with the New Jersey Department of Labor, alleging that United Ground Express failed to comply with the state’s Healthy Terminals Act.

• Related: NJ Healthy Terminals Act Takes Off; Gov. Signs Health Care Bill

The latest labor unrest at Newark Airport got a show of support from two local elected officials last week: Essex County Commissioner A' Dorian Murray-Thomas and East Orange Board of Education member Medinah Muhammad.

“There would be no Newark Airport – and there would be no United Airlines as we know it –without each and every one of these workers,” Murray-Thomas said.

SPIRIT COLLAPSE

The union’s allegations come amid growing concerns about affordability at Newark Airport following the collapse of Spirit Airlines.

Spirit, which became known for offering budget airfare, recently announced that it is going out of business after 33 years, a decision that impacts nearly 17,000 employees. The company said all flights have been canceled.

Spirit has announced 201 layoffs in Newark in the wake of its abrupt shutdown.

The bankruptcy of Spirit Airlines means that Newark Airport is losing its second-largest carrier behind United Airlines, which maintains a hub there.

United Airlines experienced a surge of more than 103,000 bookings following Spirit's collapse, SimpleFlying.com reported.

United actively courted customers of the failing airline earlier this spring, offering them limited-time, price-capped, one-way tickets from most cities where Spirit flew, including Atlanta, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami, Newark, New Orleans and Orlando.

“At a time when New Jersey families are already struggling with affordability, United Airlines is benefiting from less competition at Newark while front-line airport workers are being told to accept less health care, fewer protections and more instability,” Hill said.

“Passengers are paying more to fly, workers are paying more to survive, and United continues to profit in the middle of it all,” Hill added.

Last week, United CEO Scott Kirby shared glowing words about Newark Airport, thanking local employees for the “turnaround story” that took place after a series of airport-wide delays and equipment malfunctions.

“Newark is the 'crown jewel' of our international network serving as a global gateway to dozens of international destinations – I'm proud of the work we're doing here, and all across the country, to deliver a great experience and get our customers where they want to go safely and on time,” Kirby said.

AMERICAN AIRLINES MERGER OFF THE TABLE

Although some industry buzz was recently created around a potential merger between United Airlines and one of its largest competitors, American Airlines, both companies say that talks are off the table.

“American Airlines is not engaged with or interested in any discussions regarding a merger with United Airlines,” spokespeople said in April, adding that a combination with United would be “negative for competition and for consumers.”

Kirby also commented on the reports of a potential merger, saying that he initially approached American Airlines “because I thought we could do something incredible for customers together.”

“I recognized from the beginning that a merger this big in our industry would attract a lot of skepticism in the media, including from some government officials,” Kirby said.

He continued:

“Since previous mergers have been about saving struggling airlines, previous legal and regulatory reviews have always focused on subtraction and what's being lost. But, a different kind of merger proposal – one that's focused on growth, customer investments and global competitiveness – would have been a different proposition altogether. And, while divestitures in certain domestic markets obviously would have been required, I believe regulators would have approved such a deal because they would have recognized the benefits to customers, our shared employees and communities from coast-to-coast and around the world.”

“While our pursuit of talks with American have ended, our mission to build the greatest airline in the history of aviation at United is well underway,” Kirby said.

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