This is the fourth in a series of “Reduction in Force” communications from the Master Executive Council (MEC). See “Reduction in Force Part 1,” “Reduction in Force Part 2,” and “Reduction in Force Part 3” for the previous editions.
In This Edition
- Avoiding Involuntary Furlough: Extend the CARES Act Payroll
- How Many Furlough Mitigation Applicants are Needed to Avoid Involuntary Furlough?
- Can I Avoid Involuntary Furlough by Applying for an Extended Leave of Absence or Enhanced Voluntary Furlough?
- Order of Recall
Avoiding Involuntary Furloughs: Extend the CARES Act Payroll Support Program
The single most impactful thing that you can do to completely avoid involuntary furloughs (IVFs) 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.
How Many Furlough Mitigation Applicants are Needed to Avoid Involuntary Furlough?
The MEC is currently estimating approximately 1900 to 2200 Flight Attendants are in the potential involuntary furlough range without any furlough mitigations. As of this writing, over 2300 Flight Attendants have bid for some form of furlough mitigation (e.g. Early Out, Extended Leave of Absence or Enhanced Voluntary Furlough). How many are needed to avoid involuntary furloughs (IVFs)?
That is very difficult to project with any degree of certainty. Keep in mind that management believes the Company is under no obligation to award all furlough mitigations to the bottom of the list. The Master Executive Council (MEC) is confident management will award all EOs, but we’re less confident about all ELOAs and EVFs.
Management is concerned about awarding all furlough mitigation bids because of the potential to significantly imbalance the domiciles depending on the number and duration of the respective furlough mitigations (e.g. ELOA-12, EVF-6, EVF-9, EVF-12 and EVF-15). If management were to cut off furlough mitigation awards prior to reaching the bottom of the bids, that could lead to IVFs. Relatively junior Flight Attendants who have applied for furlough mitigations would be converted to IVF if they are in the seniority range impacted by involuntary furlough. Therefore, one cannot assume that every application for furlough mitigation will actually reduce the number of involuntary furloughs in a one to one (1:1) ratio.
Can I Avoid Involuntary Furlough by Applying for an Extended Leave of Absence or Enhanced Voluntary Furlough?
No. There has been a lot confusion regarding ELOAs/EVFs and IVFs. Bidding for an EVF does not prevent you from being involuntarily furloughed. – Section 18.A.3
If a Flight Attendant bids for an ELOA and/or an EVF and if her/his Occupational Seniority number is in the IVF seniority range, then the Flight Attendant will be converted to IVF. If management is forced to involuntarily furlough Flight Attendants, then the most junior Flight Attendant on the Occupational Seniority list will be listed as IVF; the process continues up the seniority list until a sufficient number of IVFs have been designated to meet staffing needs. In no circumstances will the most senior Flight Attendant on IVF have anyone junior to her or him designated as an active Flight Attendant or on ELOA or on EVF.
Order of Recall
Recall will be in the following order: (1) Involuntary Furloughs, (2) Enhanced Voluntary Furloughs and (3) Extended Leaves of Absence.
IVFs
IVFs will be recalled first and offered in Occupational Seniority (system seniority) order; IVFs may bypass recall until no Flight Attendant is left junior to her/him amongst the IVFs.
EVFs
EVFs will be recalled second and offered in Occupational Seniority (system seniority) order irrespective of EVF duration; EVFs may bypass recall until no FA is left junior to her/him amongst the EVFs. EVFs are automatically recalled at the conclusion of their respective EVF duration (6, 9, 12 or 15 months).
ELOAs
ELOAs will be recalled third and offered in Occupational Seniority (system seniority) order. ELOAs may bypass recall until the end of their ELOA duration (12 months).
Coming Soon
- Base Swaps and Permanent Transfers
- Dues Obligation
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.
