Yesterday, as required by the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, United Airlines informed the IAM that 12,645 District 141-represented workers could be furloughed as soon as October 1, 2020. It is important to understand that not all workers who will receive notices of potential furlough under the WARN Act are certain to be laid off. The WARN Act requires that workers be notified at least 60 days in advance of a possible layoff. Employees working in NY, NJ, CA and IL will receive individual WARN notices which were mailed by United Airlines yesterday.
The IAM-United contracts outline the exact process of a reduction in force. When a reduction in force does take place, it will be our contracts that guide the process.
IAM District 141 representatives have been in ongoing discussions with United management to develop voluntary programs to lessen the impact of furloughs.
The IAM is also working to extend the Payroll Support Program (PSP) component of the CARES Act to March 31, 2021. If we are successful, there would be no layoffs until at least that date.
Please click here to contact your elected officials to demand the PSP extension.
Sisters and Brothers, we are in very unstable and worrisome times. While there are certainly more passengers flying today than in late March, we are still at only 25 percent of 2019 passenger levels. And due to a lack of a coordinated national response to the coronavirus pandemic, rising infection rates in the US and several state-mandated quarantines, there is great risk that a significant rebound in air travel demand will not occur soon enough. As I have said before, we must prepare for furloughs this fall.
Please know that the IAM will do all that we can to lessen the impact of furloughs. We will continue to work with the Company and any developments will be immediately reported to the membership.
Please visit our DL141 website at IAM141.org, or our official District Facebook page for updates and accurate information. There are some on social media who continue to trade in fearmongering and outright misinformation. It is unfortunate that some of our own are preying on our Sisters and Brothers’ emotions during this most stressful time for their own twisted and misguided political reasons.
We have faced tough challenges as a union before. Each time we have been tested, our common bonds and solidarity have been the driving principles that have led us forward and made us stronger. We must not allow fear, petty differences or inflammatory rhetoric to divide us.
This is a time for unity, not division.
In Solidarity,
Michael G. Klemm
President and Directing General Chairman
District 141, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
Please print and post on all IAMAW bulletin boards.
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Have IAM and airlines ever consider retrain the airlines staff (during the crisis only) to work with federal and states government for covid related tasks. Ticket and call center agent can train as covid patients tracking and support. Ground crew and gate agents can work as logistics support. Carbin crew can work as low risk p2p support. Think of them as temp agent working with CDC to fight covid. A win win situations for both employee, airlines and government as thousand of trained staff keep their salary while while more resources to fight the covid.
I love this idea!
Hiv
when will employees not in California, Jersey and New York be informed if the have a WARN notice?
Have IAM and airlines ever consider retrain the airlines staff (during the crisis only) to work with federal and states government for covid related tasks. Ticket and call center agent can train as covid patients tracking and support. Ground crew and gate agents can work as logistics support. Carbin crew can work as low risk p2p support. Think of them as temp agent working with CDC to fight covid. A win win situations for both employee, airlines and government as thousand of trained staff keep their salary while while more resources to fight the covid.
A WARN Act notice can be made in various ways, including posts on bulletin boards, emails, breakroom meetings, etc. The law itself does not require a formal letter, for example. It is the responsibility of United Airlines to issue any notification that they expect large-scale reductions in force. Some states have additional requirements, but these are the basics.
The WARN Act requires that United must provide 60 days-notice of furloughs. Notice must be given to all employees suffering an employment loss, not just those who work fulltime.
There are a few exceptions, which are dependent on how the closing or mass layoff comes about, such as natural disasters, failing business, and unforeseen business circumstances. In these cases, as soon as it is reasonably certain a layoff or worksite closing will be necessary, the company must provide notice to affected employees. We think that these requirements may be in effect in this case, since COVID-19 can be considered a natural disaster.
If notice is not given, or is not given for the full 60-day period, then a company is liable for each affected employee’s wages and benefits for each day no notice was given (if 45 days-notice was given, for example, the employer would be liable for 15 days-worth of wages and benefits to each employee suffering an employment loss). However, in this case, it’s hard to see how anyone at United could possibly not know that the company is planning to furlough us. Therefore, it’s easy to see how United could demonstrate in court that they have adequately informed everyone.
I hope this helps – please talk to your Grievance Committee and AGC about this, and share whatever information you get with everyone at work. We need to be talking to each other as much as possible.
Thank You for the update. Just want to keep informed in a timely manner . We are on edge and stressing enough. Keep all of us Informed. . I’m hoping the IAM is doing all it can to keep this a painless as possible for ALL OF US.