Judge Approves UAL Chief’s Pay Deal

A Bankruptcy Court judge in Chicago allowed UAL Corp. to go ahead with its multimillion-dollar pay package for Chief Executive Glenn Tilton despite acknowledging that the timing may send a questionable message to employees.

Tilton’s five-year deal with UAL, the parent of United Airlines, was contested by the Assn. of Flight Attendants as premature and unfair at a time when employees have taken interim pay cuts and are being asked for longer-term concessions.

UAL said the original $11.4-million pay and benefits package for Tilton -- the terms of which were lowered somewhat this week -- was “eminently reasonable” and even below market average for a company its size.