Date: Fri, 7 Feb 1997 09:15:33 -0500 (EST)
From: PRCenter@aol.com

______________________________

News from:
UNITED AT UNITED
P.O. Box 88-1416
Los Angeles, CA  90009-1416
tel (310) 285-8821
fax (310) 644-2563
______________________________                                   
For Immediate Release
Contact:       David Tomb, Founder
                   (310) 285-8821
      
UNITED AIRLINES' GAY & LESBIAN EMPLOYEE GROUP
MEETS WITH SAN FRANCISCO BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

     SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 4, 1997 -- UNITED AT UNITED,
The Independent Gay & Lesbian Employee Association at
United Airlines (NYSE:UAL) met yesterday with members of
the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to discuss the city's
progressive Domestic Partner legislation.  Board of Supervisors
Members Tom Ammiano, Leslie Katz and Susan Leal met with
David Tomb, Founder of UNITED AT UNITED in a joint
session to clarify and solidify the position taken by the Board
and the City of San Francisco.
     Recently the City of San Francisco enacted a domestic
partner ordinance requiring all companies doing business with
the city to provide unmarried, registered partners with the same
benefits offered to married couples.  United Airlines, the largest
employer at San Francisco International Airport, is one of the
first company to be required to provide such benefits under the
new law.
     "We unequivocally will not back down on this issue,"
explained Supervisor Ammiano, one of the sponsors of the
Domestic Partner Ordinance.  "This is not just about benefits;
it's about fairness and equality.  That's just the way we do
business in San Francisco and United [Airlines] is going to
have to get used to it.
     "And it's not just the lesbian and gay members of the Board
of Supervisors they're dealing with," said Mr. Ammiano. 
"[Mayor Willie] Brown has said that he supports the bill
one-hundred percent and he won't budge.  Further, the citizens
of San Francisco support this legislation and they're the ones
flying United!"
     "We are absolutely thrilled by the support of the San
Francisco Board of Supervisors," explained David Tomb.  "It is
so exciting to see an entire city rally support for an issue of
fairness.  Now it will be difficult for United Airlines to ignore the
issue so many lesbians and gays have tried to bring to their
attention," he added.
     UNITED AT UNITED is continuing to urge United Airlines
to "do the right thing," and has offered its assistance in a letter
to Francesca M. Maher, Vice President-Law, Deputy General
Counsel and Corporate Secretary for United.  "We again
extend our offer of support to our employer in the form of
sample [domestic partner] policies used by other multinational
corporations.  As employees, many of us employee-owners, we
have a vested interest in the company's success.  We are
especially concerned about the potential backlash against
United Airlines by gay travellers should the company challenge
San Francisco's law and refuse to treat all employees fairly,"
Tomb said.  "The message the company sends our fellow
employees, the City of San Francisco and the lesbian and gay
travelling public on this issue is very important to us."
     After receiving an additional one week extension, United
Airlines is expected to address the Board of Supervisors at its
weekly meeting Monday, February 10, 2:00 p.m., at the
Board's temporary location, 401 Van Ness, opposite City Hall. 
The meeting is open to the public. 
     More than 400 companies currently offer domestic partnership 
benefits including IBM, Starbucks, Disney, Microsoft, Apple
Computers and Levi's.

- 30 -