This is the first in a series of reduction in force communications.
In This Edition
- How to Mitigate or Avoid Involuntary Furlough
- Extend the CARES Act Payroll Support Program
- Contact Congress Every Day in July
- Updated Projections
- Bidding to Avoid Involuntary Furlough
How to Mitigate or Avoid Involuntary Furlough
Master Executive Council
One of the most frequently asked questions by Flight Attendants right now is what we can do to mitigate or avoid involuntary furloughs (IVFs).
Extend the CARES Act Payroll Support Program
There is an active effort by AFA-CWA and other unions to champion an extension of the CARES Act, which would bring additional payroll support to aviation workers and a continued moratorium on involuntary furloughs through March 31, 2021. This is an active conversation within Congress right now with very tangible momentum, but the window in which to achieve an extension during this legislative session is relatively short.
Contact Congress every day in July
The single most impactful thing that you can do to completely avoid involuntary furloughs in October would be for you, your family members and your friends to contact Congress and demand our legislators extend the CARES Act Payroll Support Program.
We need urgent action on this now and every day in July:
- Call your Representative and Senators. Flight Attendants, family and friends should make three calls every day: two to the Senate line and one to the House line.
- Sign this letter to your Representative and Senators >
- Tell five flying partners and your friends and family to do the same!
House: 888-907-9365 | Senate: 888-848-4824
Sample Script:
Hello, I am a constituent calling to ask [Representative] /[Senator] to help save my job as an essential worker. Take legislative action in July to extend the CARES Act Payroll Support Program for aviation workers in order to avoid massive job loss in October. Keep us connected to our jobs, our paychecks, and our healthcare. Thank you for your urgent attention to this.
Updated Projections
During the first FA Early Out & Leave Options informational session on Tuesday, management estimated they are looking for between 1300 Flight Attendant (~22% of 5975) and up to 2200 Flight Attendants (~36% of 5975) to elect some form of furlough mitigation effective in October. Therefore, IVFs will be avoided altogether if somewhere between 1300 and 2200 Flight Attendants take Early Outs, Extended Leaves of Absence or Enhanced Voluntary Furloughs–or if Congress passes an extension to the CARES Act.
Read more about the Early Out and other furlough mitigation options >
Bidding to Avoid Involuntary Furlough
Some Flight Attendants seem to believe that bidding for an Extended Leave of Absence or Enhanced Voluntary Furlough or being on any type of leave of absence will make them ineligible for involuntary furlough. This is not true. If an insufficient number of Flight Attendants bid for EOs, ELOAs and EVFs, then the Flight Attendants with the least Occupational Seniority (i.e. most junior) will be furloughed in order to achieve the required reduction in force. There is no IVF “super seniority” gained by bidding for or being on any type of LOA because such leaves are ‘converted’ to IVF if applicable.
Example: The Company needs a reduction in force of 2200 FAs. 2190 FAs bid for EO, ELOA or EVF, so the Company needs to reduce staffing by at least 10 more FAs. The 10 most junior FAs on system seniority list will be involuntarily furloughed. If any of those 10 junior FAs also bid for an ELOA or EVF, then their awards are denied; the next most junior FA(s) will also be involuntarily furloughed until there is a reduction in force of 2200 FAs via ELOA, EVF and IVF.
Coming Soon
- Order of Awards for EOs, ELOA, EVFs
- Seniority Accrual and Retention of Longevity
- Dues Obligation
- Order of Recall for IVF, EVF and ELOA
These are extremely difficult and stressful times. Please remember that your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Committee is always available as a support resource. As your direct representative on the MEC, your LEC president is available to answer questions or concerns that you may have about all the information presented here. Contact information for your respective LEC president can be found by clicking here.
We hope to see you at the remaining “Early Out & Leave Options” informational session on 7/21!
