Jumpseatnews.com - United Airlines flight attendant resources

Home > News > United Staffing Imbalance Result in Involuntary Surplus
< More News Stories

United Staffing Imbalance Result in Involuntary Surplus

print
Source: AFA

Date: May 12, 2014

Ladies and Gentlemen:

This afternoon management has announced their intention to invoke the Surplus provisions as contained in Section 22.J.and K. of our Collective Bargaining Agreement.  Management has not yet officially posted a Notice of Surplus; they have informed us that United “intends to adjust staffing levels in Flight Attendant bases effective with the October 2014 bid month.” 

United Inflight Scheduling has offered us a high level overview regarding a number of staffing issues involving Partnership Flying and Surplus, and we will meet with them later this week to gain a more comprehensive understanding of their plans.

According to the “Base Rebalancing” announcement today, management intends to surplus up to 600 United Flight Attendants effective with the October 2014 schedule month.  Two Hundred Flight Attendants each from Chicago, Denver and Los Angeles.  These numbers are subject to change; however they anticipate vacancies in New York, San Francisco and Houston. 

Flight Attendants from the Miami domicile were the last group of Flight Attendants affected by a surplus in 2003.  Seattle and Honolulu have also experienced a surplus in the past.

Throughout the past year, we have faced countless challenges, and we have done so together.  We will approach this newest challenge with determination and Solidarity.  AFA is committed to doing whatever it can to protect your individual and our collective best interests at this critical time.  We will take appropriate action to ensure all of our Contractual rights listed in Sections 22 are fulfilled. Specific information about these Contract provisions will be available on our website. 

Discussions with the Company will take place over the next several days and we will keep you informed via our website of any developments.  Please avoid rumor and speculation during this time period and check our website for the latest information.

In Solidarity,

Greg Davidowitch, President
United Master Executive Council

 

Contract Information About Surpluses, Section 22.J. and 22.K.

We have created a Contract Education Article on the provisions of Sections 22.J. and 22.K. as they apply in the surplus of Flight Attendants mentioned in Mr. Risoli’s May 12, 2014 letter.

Unlike the provisions in Section 21.A., in which individuals volunteer to be taken off the payroll through voluntary furlough, Surplus is about continued employment at a different location.

We encourage you to review the entire Contract Education Article on our website, however a summary of the provisions and timeline is as follows:

  • The company must notify and confer with the Union at least fifteen (15) days prior to issuing a notice to surplus.
  • The company should first move any Flight Attendants who desire to move in order of seniority from the domicile at which the surplus exists
  • If an insufficient number of volunteers exist, the company is required to post a notice no fewer than 45 days before the effective date of an involuntary transfer to a new domicile
  • The notice should state the number of vacancies, bidding instructions and the last date on which bids will be accepted
  • The company must give those surplussed no less than 15 days from the date notified of the assignment to report to the new domicile 

Additional information, including right of recall, moving expenses and NRSA/NRPS Pass Travel are included in the Education Article.

The United Master Executive Council (MEC) has met today via Conference Call to receive an update from the MEC Officers on this situation.  Additional meetings with the company will continue as more information becomes available. 

We understand that there are a great number of questions and concerns that arise as a result of United management’s decision to pursue this surplus; we are working on compiling additional information as well as a Q&A for publication later this week. 

Throughout this process, you should contact your Local Council with your questions.  If they are unable to provide you with an immediate answer, we will add to and update our Q&A with new questions and information as it becomes available.

< Return to Latest News


Quick Find

Travel and Safety

And now a word from...

Printed from www.jumpseatnews.com. Have a nice day!
© 1999-2021 Jumpseatnews.com.  Powered by Cocky. Russian-American Coalition for the Climate