As you all know American has announced that, barring intervention from Congress, it intends to begin furloughs October 1st. Your Association leadership was only recently advised the announcement. We have meet with the company on this issue, and we continue to work to limit the impact on our members as much as possible.
The Company will issue all furlough letters to the affected members through their AA email address starting Thursday August 27th with instructions on how to select their options. It is critical that you click SUBMIT/SAVE before you exit the selection process to ensure the selections are saved. If you hold seniority in another classification and elect to exercise your seniority in that lower classification to remain at your location, please make sure you select that classification as well. It will not pop up on the screen. you will need to select it from the drop-down menu.The company will then process and award your selections, based on Article 12 of the CBA, between September 3rd through September 9th. The Company will notify everyone affected by September 14, 2020. Employees affected by subsequent bumping will be notified by the Company, and subsequent bumping will be accomplished per Article 12 of the CBA. The company has indicated this entire process will be completed, with all those who have been affected notified of the results, by September 30, 2020 in order for the furloughs to be effective on October 1, 2020.
Your Association leadership is also objecting to the company’s intent to furlough members while at the same time bringing in vendors to replace our members. In addition, we are objecting to the continued outsourcing of work, not only domestically, but also internationally, where American citizens will be on the street while the company continues to outsource that work to foreign workers, something CEO Robert Isom committed he would not do!
It is important to make sure that those members who elect furlough, in lieu of exercising their seniority rights, consistently ensure that their contact information is and continues to be up to date, because you have lifetime recall rights. That same contact information is also the only information that would be used to notify you of a recall, and if it is not up to date, you might lose your recall rights. If you do get furloughed and then relocate, please remember to update your contact information with both the company and the Union to preserve and protect your recall rights.
The company has given us the indication that if extension of the CARES Act #PayrollSupportProtection approved and in effect by October 1, 2020 that the announced furlough process would not move forward. Given the importance of this #PayrollSupportProtection extension, we encourage each and every one within this Association membership, as well as their families, friends and acquaintances, to contact their US Representatives and stress the importance of this #PayrollSupportProtection extension.
This is your opportunity to make a difference, and protect your jobs and your coworkers jobs!
For the IAM Members, Please click here to alert your local representative in Congress.
For the TWU Members, Please click here, or retweet calls to action when you click here.
If you have any questions, please reach out to your local representatives.
