America First Legal (AFL) has announced that United Airlines will cease its discriminatory hiring practices following a federal civil rights complaint. The Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) informed AFL of United Airlines' decision to abandon employment quotas and preferences, acknowledging these practices as unlawful discrimination.
The complaint was filed by AFL on January 17, 2024, requesting an investigation into United Airlines for potential violations of federal contracting laws. Despite receiving over $150 million in federal contracts since 2008, the airline allegedly violated equal opportunity agreements.
On November 5, 2024, OFCCP conducted an informal compliance conference with United Airlines under regulation 41 C.F.R. 60-1.24(c)(2). During this meeting, United Airlines agreed to discontinue its illegal hiring practices based on race and sex quotas.
Gene Hamilton, Executive Director of America First Legal, commented: “As we have said since the earliest days of our organization, all Americans deserve equal treatment under the law—and that includes the right to be free from racial discrimination. Yet in recent years, major corporations made the asinine decision to stop treating Americans as individuals who should be assessed on their own individual merit, and instead decided that judging Americans based on the color of their skin was the better path to making employment decisions. This must end—no discrimination means no discrimination.”