Upping the ante to take a hike would have been a preferable way to handle this situation. And, what airline puts its employees ahead of paying passengers. Seems like poor problem solving by the gate agent. This person -- who was in charge of discharging the aircraft from the gate -- should have realized the flight was full with four more passengers waiting in the employee lounge. The inability to process the problem -- with an easier out by booking the employees on competitor's flights could have been an option. The crux of this delima is postulated by United unwillingness to put the customer first. We had a profitable United flight from Tyler to Houston and business depended on it for travel to the fourth largest city in the U.S. But, even though the flights were always full and profitable, decided to leave over a petty dispute with the Airport Board. Again, leaving the flying passengers stranded. The public relations nightmare will continue to haunt United Airlines -- similar to what happened to Target, Starbucks, etc in recent debacles. Offers of $1,000 or more would have produced the needed seats!