United Airlines
Corprate Bias Ratings
Risk Level:
Summary:
United Airlines canceled a business contract with the NRA over activist pressure. The company has also drawn controversy for its strict enforcement of a vaccine mandate, including punishing employees with a religious exemption with temporary unpaid leave. After laying off unvaccinated pilots due to Covid-19, United Airlines began a diversity initiative to recruit more diverse pilots. The company vets vendors according to LGBTQ policies and does not provide its employees with protections against viewpoint discrimination. United Airlines has donated to Planned Parenthood and is a gold partner of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). The company supports the Equality Act, transgender participation in women's and girls' sports, and is a corporate partner of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce. The company is a signatory of the Business Roundtable's 2019 Statement on the Purpose of Corporation, which promotes stakeholder capitalism. For these reasons, United Airlines receives a High Risk rating.
Has denied service to customers, suppliers, or vendors due to their political views or religious beliefs OR corporately boycotts, divests, or sanctions regions, people groups, or industries.
United Airlines has recently fired employees who refused its vaccine mandate. Even those who filed a religious exemption were placed on temporary unpaid leave (1)(2). United Airlines canceled a nonprofit discount it formerly offered the NRA after pressure from leftist activists (3). United Airlines received a score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) Corporate Equality Index (4). Among other requirements, this means the company vets suppliers according to LGBTQ policies (5).
Has denied service to customers, suppliers, or vendors due to their political views or religious beliefs OR corporately boycotts, divests, or sanctions regions, people groups, or industries.
United Airlines does not discriminate against religious organizations in its charitable giving. It limits its charitable giving to preserving the environment, disaster relief, education, and leadership development for youth (1).
Employment policies fail to protect against discrimination based on political affiliation/views and/or religion.
United Airlines does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (1).
Uses corporate reputation to support ideological causes and/or organizations hostile to freedom of expression.
United Airlines has signed open letters in support of the Equality Act and transgender participation in women’s and girls’ sports (1)(2). One of the company’s outreach programs benefiting underprivileged youth raised funds through the sale of a Black Lives Matter lapel pin (3). The company opposed the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act, which prohibits teaching gender identity and sexual orientation in schools to kids in K-3rd grade (4). CEO Scott Kirby is a member of the Business Roundtable and Former CEO Oscar Munoz signed its 2019 Statement on the Purpose of Corporation, which promotes stakeholder capitalism over traditional obligations to shareholders and customers (5)(6). United Airlines pledged to train 10,000 pilots by 2030, half of which to be women or people of color (7). It has posted a page on its website outlining its multiple LGBT partnerships and advocacy (8).
Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.
United Airlines has a perfect score on the HRC’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index. This score indicates the company covers the cost of “medically necessary transition-related care” for its employees and their children (1)(2). United Airlines has previously donated to Planned Parenthood, though it is unclear if it still does (3)(4). The company is a gold partner of the HRC (5). United Airlines has also pledged an undisclosed sum of corporate funding to the Black Lives Matter movement and related causes, including the Houston affiliate of the Urban League (6)(7). The company is a corporate partner of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (8).
All links were last accessed and all information was updated on:
December 5, 2023
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Voting History
| Date | ESG Category | Proponent | Summary of Resolution | Mgmt Rec | Total Vote % in Favor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5/25/22 | Social | John Chevedden | Report on Lobbying Payments and Policy | Against | 36.58% |