United Airlines agrees union deal to avoid pilot job losses
United Airlines has reached a last minute pay deal with the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) to avoid any pilot furloughs.
It secures the immediate working future of some 13,000 pilots, and reverses the layoffs of nearly 3,000 which were announced recently.
"We’re spreading the existing flying among our pilot group while locking in permanent contractual gains. I am proud of our pilots for showing the unity and resolve needed in the face of uncertainty," said Capt. Todd Insler, United’s ALPA Master Executive Council chairman.
"We’ve worked for months on creative solutions to mitigate massive pilot layoffs."
The planned layoffs were due to start later this week when the CARES Act payroll support package expires.
Apart from pilots, United has reduced the number of layoffs to about 12,000 if further federal aid for airlines isn’t signed off in the next couple of days.
It is a significant reduction in the planned furloughs of up to 36,000 staff it warned of in July.
The airline said around 7,000 workers had taken voluntary buyouts.
On Monday House Democrats added $25 billion in airline industry relief in the latest CARES Act bill proposal.
This would protect tens of thousands of airline jobs for at least another six months.
It also includes $3 billion for airline contractors.
Airlines for America (A4A) applauded the airline provision in the extension but there is still no guarantee it will be passed before the 30 September expiry of the current funding.
A4A said it is ‘hopeful that Congress will act ‘swiftly’ to protect the livelihoods of ‘flight attendants, pilots, mechanics, gate agents and others who are truly the backbone of our industry.’
Written by Ray Montgomery, US Editor
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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