"A gut punch:" United Airlines to lay off up to 36,000 U.S. employees in October [View all]

[bronxiteforever]

Dawn Gilbertson
USA TODAY
12:05PM July 8,2020

United Airlines has been warning employees for months that mass layoffs loom if travel doesn't rebound, and the airline put a grim face on the expected tally Wednesday.

In a memo to employees, the Chicago-based airline said 36,000 employees, or 45% of its frontline workers in the United States and more than a third of its overall workforce of 95,000, face layoffs on or around Oct. 1.The most impacted groups: flight attendants and airport customer service and gate agents, which account for 26,000 of the 36,000.

The airline is calling them involuntary furloughs because most of the affected employees will be eligible to be recalled when travel demand returns under terms of their union contracts.

Airlines are prohibited from laying off workers until Oct. 1 under the payroll protection provisions of the federal CARES Act.


https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2020/07/08/united-airlines-layoff-up-36-000-employees-october-coronavorus-fallout/5396857002/