May 20, 2011: The votes will be counted on June 2 as some 4,500 United Airline mechanics are voting on a tentative agreement. The Hoffa administration is pulling out all the stops with a hard sell to get it passed, but the San Francisco-based Teamsters pictured here are not buying it.

They say the contract falls short on wages (adjusted for inflation it will put people at 2003 wages), insufficient retroactive pay, pensions (there is no pension plan in the offer, just a six percent 401(k) match), and a dangerous provision which terminates the medical plan at the end of 2012 (with a new one to be negotiated, perhaps with large co-premiums to pay).

The contract is important as well for Teamster mechanics at Continental Airlines, because of the pending merger.