As United Airlines calculates the merits of moving its corporate headquarters from Elk Grove Township either to downtown Chicago, Denver or San Francisco, there’s talk about a bidding war. What I’d like to hear is talk about loyalty.
Certainly Chicago and the state should thoroughly investigate the feasibility of offering an incentive package. But this isn’t and shouldn’t be just about money. It’s about a relationship–even a partnership–that has thrived for 80 years.
United Airlines has played an important part in Chicago’s past, and now, as it emerges from bankruptcy, it is poised to play an equally important part in Chicago’s future. But let’s not forget the most critical part of that equation: United has done well because metropolitan Chicago is a place to do well.
Yes United’s continued presence matters a great deal to us, and no doubt that fact will be reflected in whatever incentives Chicago ultimately puts on the table. But it is equally true that our city and state are a great asset to United, and that Illinois has always been there for the airline.
For example, the state contributed significantly in the late 1980s to a reservation center north of the airport.
Likewise the city vigorously lobbied the federal government after Sept. 11, 2001, to give United funds from the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act money. And currently the city is committed to an expansion project that will greatly benefit United.
To be sure, the past few years have not been easy for United, but neither have they been easy for its past and present Chicago-area employees. Thousands of layoffs, huge wage concessions and a massive default on pension obligations have staggered the airline’s workforce.
But here’s what partners do. They persevere. They find a way to prop each other up during the tough times, and they mutually thrive during the good times. Above all else, they remain loyal to each other.
I’d like to believe that at the end of the day, that’s the kind of special relationship Chicago and United will continue to have.
