Posted on 07/08/2020 11:31:09 AM PDT by Enlightened1
United Airlines is warning 36,000 employees - nearly half its U.S. staff - they could be furloughed in October, the clearest signal yet of how deeply the virus pandemic is hurting the airline industry.
The outlook for a recovery in air travel has dimmed in just the past two weeks, as infection rates rise in much of the U.S. and some states impose new quarantine requirements on travelers.
United officials said Wednesday that they still hope to limit the number of layoffs by offering early retirement benefits, and that 36,000 is a worst-case scenario. The notices going to employees this month are meant to comply with a 60-day warning ahead of mass job cuts.
The furloughs could include up to 15,000 flight attendants, 11,000 customer service and gate agents, 5,500 maintenance workers and 2,250 pilots.
“The United Airlines projected furlough numbers are a gut punch, but they are also the most honest assessment we’ve seen on the state of the industry,” said Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants. “This crisis dwarfs all others in aviation history, and there’s no end in sight.”
If United carries through on the notices, furloughs would take effect on or shortly after Oct. 1. United can’t lay off workers before then as a condition of the $5 billion it got as its share of $25 billion in federal aid to help airlines cover payroll costs.
The flight attendants’ union and other airline labor groups are lobbying Congress for another $25 billion to protect jobs through next March. But a senior United executive expressed doubt that Congress would approve the spending in an election year.
United has already cut capital spending by $2.5 billion and convinced thousands of employees to take unpaid leave.
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
I had to drop someone at the airport last week.
I was one of TWO vehicles in the departing flights
drop-off area.
I turned down the opportunity to get out of town
recently because I had little appetite for sitting
masked for the duration of my flight.
October? Interesting timing.
October? Interesting timing.
Yeah what happens the first week of November? A coincidence.
Perfect timing for the anti Americans. .... Hate these people.
Exactly
But they did take the billions in federal aid. LOL
Good point!
Good. Their service sucked long before Covid. Rot in hell.
“October? Interesting timing”.
Yes, it is, and we’re likely to see more of it. They are going all out and I mean ALL OUT.
One our younger relatives due to the on again off again school term, flew back last week.
The plane was the fullest she has seen 3 flights to the West Coast 3 back east, since March.
She asked a flight attendant why the plane was basically full with the exception of the middle seats.
The FA said that governors back east had threatened to place people flying into their states in 2 weeks of isolation. So people had moved up their flights to that week, not wanting to deal with 2 weeks of isolation.
The left is taking no chances this time. Forced COVID-19 lockdowns. Workers laid off. Crippling the economy. Riots. Race wars. Bogus polls. Disarming the police. Flynn still under wraps. All major sports bowing down to BLM. Travel limitations (especially for campaign lawyers needing to fight voter fraud after Election Day).
They took the bailout money from the government, so they have to keep them employed until Sept 30. The Warren Act requires 90 days notice for layoffs at a big company. So the announcement now makes sense.
Wrong. The current bailout requires them to keep staff employed until Sep 30th. This is where the timing is derived from.
Those billions may not be enough.
You’re exactly right. And it’s disgusting beyond measure that so many are falling for it.
United offers some great deals if you look for them.
.
JFK to JFK-Jr for $49.
737MAX
Fly the friendly skies!
I gave up flying commercial when GWB invented the Touchy Squeezy Administration.
The good news is with reduced air travel passenger beatings are way down.
ROFL
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