Latest Update (Jan 17, 2014): AFA has just proposed a comprehensive list of alternatives to Involuntary Furloughs.

List is below...

Background on this list >

This morning the United Master Executive Council met on conference call to provide updates and reach agreement on the direction our Union will pursue to protect United Flight Attendant jobs.  During the call the United MEC unanimously approved the following motion/resolution:

Involuntary Furlough Mitigation Resolution

Whereas United management has determined there should be an involuntary furlough of our Members and is taking action in violation of our Contract and,

Whereas the United MEC is prepared to do everything it can to eliminate the need for the involuntary furlough of any of the Members we represent,

Therefore Be It Resolved the United MEC directs the MEC President/designee to enter into discussions with United management on the following points:

• Implement Early Out
• Implement Six (6) month Voluntary Furlough
• Award all bids on file for Voluntary Furlough
• Award all bids on file for Partnership

Discretionary Time Off

• Provide incentives for voluntary discretionary time off:
  • One round trip positive space for family per month of discretionary time off
• Combination of Special Leaves exceeding 180 calendar days in a 12 month period
  • Accrue seniority for all time
• Combination of 30 day ANP back to back resulting in Personal Leave of Absence
  • Accrue seniority for all time
• Implement 15 day ANP Option

Partnership Program

• One (1) 12 month Partnership

• effective April 1, 2014 – March 31, 2015

• Two (2)  Six month Partnerships

• effective April 1, 2014 – September 28, 2014
• effective September 29, 2014 – March 31, 2015

• Three (3) Four month Partnerships

• effective April 1, 2014 – July 29, 2014
• effective July 30, 2014 – November 29, 2014
• effective November 30, 2014 – March 31, 2015

Final Crossover

• Effective April 1, 2014

 Be It Further Resolved that the United MEC approves any modifications to our Contract necessary to accomplish these points, and,

Be it Finally Resolved that the final agreed upon solution will be incorporated into a side letter that will be used for the 2014 Involuntary Furlough and all Involuntary Furloughs that should be declared until a Joint Contract is reached.

Unanimously Adopted – January 17, 2014

United Master Executive Council Greg Davidowitch, today addressed our Membership in the following letter.

The MEC affirms to our Membership the umbrella strategy in which we are engaging to prevent any involuntary furlough.

• On Wednesday, January 15, we notified the company via a Cease & Desist , advising that they immediately withdraw their efforts to involuntarily furlough any United Flight Attendant.  In doing so we will utilize our Grievance, Arbitration and will pursue all Legal avenues to defend and protect against an involuntary furlough.
• Additionally, we put the company on notice  to seek an agreement to arbitrate the dispute in an expedited manner so as to provide for a decision prior to anyone being involuntarily furloughed.
• We have retained outside legal counsel, in addition to our existing legal department. It is clear through our assessment of the situation and publically available numbers, that a significant portion of United's stated manpower reduction numbers are a direct result of productivity. 
• We will continue calling on management to think outside the box, to work with the Union to find solutions instead of refusals, and to work towards the very reasonable, responsible and feasible outcome of no involuntary furloughs.  Unless management has another reason for putting Flight Attendants out on the street, our options and solutions identify approaches that could work together in managing the remaining Flight Attendant overage , not yet included in discretionary time off programs.

For almost four years now, we've watched the decisions management has made and the direction it has taken our company.  If the original promises made in 2010 were true, and remain true today as claimed by Jeff Smisek and senior management, then clearly we need to turn the corner on the decision making process.  The change in the direction our United will take needs to happen right here, right now, today. The company needs to work with the Union to find solution beginning today and ending in the near-future with a Joint Contract. B oth of which are absolutely essential to getting United to it s rightful place as the World Class Global Airline.  It's time for management to do the reasonable and right thing.