United plans to furlough 16,000 workers, fewer than expected

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

United Airlines said Wednesday it plans to furlough 16,370 employees in October, a smaller number than the airline predicted in July because thousands of workers agreed to leave with the travel industry facing a slow recovery from the pandemic.

Airline officials had outlined 36,000 potential furloughs in July. Since then, thousands of workers took early retirement, buyouts, or long-term leaves of absence.

United officials said the forced job cuts will begin Oct. 1, when a prohibition on furloughs ends. They said the furloughs would be postponed if Washington approves another $25 billion to help passenger airlines cover payroll costs.

Flight attendants will bear the brunt of the cuts, with 6,920 getting furlough notices. About 2,850 pilots, 2,260 airport-based employees, 2,010 maintenance workers and 1,400 management and support staff would also lose their jobs.



FILE - In this July 18, 2018, file photo a United Airlines commercial jet sits at a gate at Terminal C of Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, N.J. United Airlines plans to furlough about 16,000 employees in October 2020 as air travel continues to be hammered by the pandemic. That's fewer furloughs than United predicted in July, when it warned 36,000 employees that they could lose their jobs. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)


Read more: https://apnews.com/7c3cb080db038643b076985cba26de6d

[PSPS]

1. Sad, but recreational air travel is mostly gone for the foreseeable future.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

2. I am both a former airline employee,

ticket agent at National Airport in Washington DC for ten years, and someone who loves to travel. Right now I cannot imagine getting on an airplane, or even a train, my other favorite form of travel, in the foreseeable future.

[NurseJackie]

4. The Mister and I also love traveling by train...

... and by plane. I'm like you. It's much too soon and enclosed places are NOT for us.

Assuming I live that long... I think we'll be waiting for a year or two (AFTER the vaccine/cure has had a chance to prove its worth and effectiveness) before we consider traveling again.

[NurseJackie]

5. PS: I still call it "National Airport" too! (or "Washington National" or "DCA")

[TomCADem]

3. It is not uncommon for employers to announce larger layoffs them roll them back slightly...

...as leverage for concessions, so the fact that only 16,000 people are getting laid off is nothing to celebrate.