United Airlines, Unions Urge Congress to Continue COVID-19 Relief Aid

The United Airlines, along with its industry unions, is urging the Congress to restart negotiations for another COVID-19 relief aid legislation.

Both groups have sent a letter asking the Congress leaders and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to restart negotiations; otherwise, the United Airlines will be forced to furlough more than 16,000 employees by October 1.

In the letter, United CEO Scott Kirby wrote that without additional funding for the Payroll Support Program Grant, there would be about 16,000 of their employees who will be at risk of involuntary furloughs by October 1.

Kirby added that the continuation of the PSP Grant would not only prevent the furlough, but it will also provide the industry additional time to reach recovery without losing any member of their family to involuntary furloughs.

United Airlines and industry unions are also asking a clean six-month extension of funding for the PSP Grant on the latest stimulus package, which requires airlines to keep their employees on the payroll through October 1.

United is not the only airline company forced to resort to furloughing employees as American Airlines, and the Delta Air Lines has also announced that they are also running out of funds and will be forced to cut their workforce.

The American Airlines said last week that unless it will be getting an additional federal aid, it will have to cut 19,000 jobs and will eventually end being 30 percent smaller than before COVID-19 hit.

The Delta Air Lines, for its part, had announced that it is planning to furlough 1,941 pilots by October unless an agreement is reached with the union to lower costs.

Airlines have been working with various unions to reach deals to avoid cutting jobs and leave. Still, according to United Airlines, it might be unavoidable without the federal funding, which is why negotiations for another COVID-19 relief aid is very critical.

Airline labor unions are asking Congress for another federal aid of $25 billion for jobs to be preserved until the end of March 2021.

Among the more than 16,000 employees that United is planning to cut are 6,920 flight attendants.

However, Sara Nelson, the president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA International representing the United Airlines flight attendants, said that unless an additional $25 billion in federal aid is given, about 14,000 and not just 6,920 flight attendants will not receive their paychecks by October.

This is because many of them have chosen to be provided with healthcare but no money, one of the measures that airlines are offering to mitigate the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kirby also wrote that they understand the severe impact that the pandemic has on the entire U.S. economy, and aside from them, everyone else also needs financial aid.

However, any help now will lessen the pandemic's long term impact on the economy and help in the speedy recovery.

If Congress and the Administration can reach an agreement soon, this will help not only the United Airlines but also other industries in keeping their employees.

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