On the same day that United Airlines, along with most of the rest of the aviation industry, was still suffering from the crippling effects of a global IT outage, the airline sent out a new sickness policy to its flight attendants, threatening them with termination if they are sick on a weekend.
The new policy has been slammed as ‘reprehensible’ by the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA), which represents crew members at the Chicago-based airline, and the union says it is already seeking legal advice to challenge United’s policy.
Providing flight attendants with less than 24 hours before the new policy came into force, United sent out a so-called ‘scheduling alert’ on Friday, informing crew members that they must now obtain an absence certificate at their own expense if they report sick for any trip that departs on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday.
United has warned flight attendants that the punishment for failing to provide managers with an absence certificate within 72 hours of calling sick, will be disciplinary action up and including termination.
The union immediately called foul, claiming that United was violating their contract and making up rules on the fly.
“Not only is this a willful Contract violation, it is yet another demonstration of management’s lack of respect for Flight Attendants and our contract,” the union slammed in a memo on Saturday.
The memo continued: “Flight Attendants on the line the last few days have endured the effects of another irregular operation. We have once again risen to the challenge and made it all work while dealing with one the largest IT outages in history.”
“Management couldn’t be bothered to wait until this unprecedented crisis was resolved to blatantly violate our Contract; they had to do it right now, in the midst of the chaos. This is a clear indication of just how tone-deaf management is.”
Under the flight attendant contract, United Airlines has previously been able to require crew members to provide an absence certificate for certain key dates. At present, these dates only cover the Fourth of July and Christmas holiday periods.
The contract also states that flight attendants are to provide an absence certificate within 72 hours of the scheduled trip or reserve period ending – not within 72 hours of calling sick.
United Airlines and the AFA are currently negotiating a new flight attendant contract, but while this process continues, the old contract remains in force.
After months of stalled bargaining, the union approved a strike authorization vote last week – the first such vote at United in more than 19 years. The ballot is set to open on August 1 and close on August 28.
A friend of mine who is a FA for another airline knows how to game the union rules and treats sick leave like extra vacation. Their contract requires proof of illness if you are sick twice in a six month time period. Conveniently, this person is “sick” about every six and a half months. When a FA calls in sick, their entire block is forfeited, so that could be anywhere from 2 to 6 or 7 days. Gaming the sick leave system is apparently pretty common, according to this person. And so if that’s the case at other airlines, this policy is probably reasonable.
It’s not because you also get points. Getting penalized on top of having to prove that you’re sick (which cost money) is unfair to them. Their company should drop one and keep the other.
And there is areason. If you are a employee who is lucky enough to be healthy you get to bank your sick hours. Sick hours worth reular pay when used. If one retires with lots of banked hours they are paid back at 8% of their value. Worth 10’s of thousands of $ that the company keeps. So use them, or lose them.
Sick Days were never meant to be vacation days, they were to help with legitimate illnesses. But, unfortunately, misused and the system abused. If only people were more honest.
There is none of this with United and most other major airlines as FAs are punished in a point type of system if you call out, schedules are bids placed approx. 15 days prior to release of said schedule- and these schedules are built by someone else, so, freedom of time off is extremely, extremely limited. These FAs are expected to live where they are based, and the majority of those cities have very high costs of living, making the starting wage of 20-26k per year impossible to survive on- that being said, FAs must work on their off days- “pick up trips” – in order to somewhat make ends meet. So yes, the occasional already punished sick call for any reason at all being even further reprimanded…. very very very much so a slap in the face. Also, according to FMLA, illegal.
At retirement, banked sick hours are refunded at 8%. It’s a case of use them or lose them. So the FA’s HAVE to use them. To be clear. 100 banked sick hours are worth ( for example) $6000 when used.
At retirement the employee gets paid $480 for the Hours EARNED.
Some “friend” you are. With friends like you, who needs enemies smdh.
Delta suffers from employees doing the same thing. Flight is ready to board but the flight is short some flight attendants. The airline calls them, “Oh, we had a chance to go to the lake with friends.” “Yeah but you have a flight in an hour.” “Well, we’ll just use a sick day.” Then scheduling has to call a reserve or find someone to fill in the gap. After a couple of times at this trick, the airline will terminate them for cause but the former employee doesn’t care. After all, they might have a worthless college degree that Paw Paw wiped the debt clear and the former employee doesn’t care because they don’t owe any money! Vicious circle and it’s not just the airlines! I don’t think a note from a physician, dentist, etc. is unreasonable. But then, a state like California is so screwed up anyway… So…what is the company supposed to do? How can they mitigate this problem?
Dear Win Whitmire: A blind item (what are the sources of all of your information?). This is a specific labor law issue involving bargained rights between the airline and the union. The timing of the announcement is particularly unfortunate due to the computer IT world-wide meltdown.
However, all of this is governed by federal law. Could you please explain why at the end of your scree California suddenly appears? What does this have to do with the report and your previous statements? Could you please give an explanation?
Unions covered by the Railway Labor Act, which includes airline employee unions, don’t have “old contracts” and “new contacts”.
They have one contract that at some point becomes amendable upon the agreement of both parties.
Surely you must know that .
Do the honest and smart thing. Pay the employee the FULL VALUE of banked sick hours , rather than steal them answer this: would you save hours if you will be paid what you earned. Or save hours that will lose 92% of?
Don’t you ALL see what’s happening? The Flight Attendants are being punished because they are voting to STRIKE! They are abused beyond belief.
Last night my colleagues were sleeping on cots in the crew room, no hotels, no showers and forced to work their flights with no sleep.
They were sleeping on the empty aircrafts because United can’t get their act together to hire more schedulers to handle the work load.
They are on hold for, no joke, up to 6 hours in order to find out where they are suppose to go next.
Flightcrews are calling out sick from working 22 hour days but United management doesn’t care. The flight attendants haven’t had a raise in 8 years yet the CEO is taking his $18 million in salary. Flight attendants at United are qualifying for food stamps!
The Drs note means if you stub your toe and can’t put a shoe on, you must go to Urgent Care.
If you have a bad period, you must go to Urgent Care.
If you have a bad headache, you must go to Urgent Care and pay the $250 deductible for something that doesn’t require seeing a Dr for.
And it’s not just a sick note. It’s a full on affidavit stating what your medical issue is, the prognosis, how long you’ll be out, treatment plan etc. Pain in the ass and Drs aren’t happy to fill out paperwork for something minor.
This is pure retaliation by United management because Flight Attendants are being ignored and abused. Last night, over 35 crews were in the crew room in IAH without beds, blankets, sleeping on the floor because United did not give them hotel rooms. This happened all over the system!!
So don’t act like this isn’t a big deal. Because the company is violating our rights to use sick time!!
This photo is one cot that was delivered for use. The rest of the crew slept on the floor.
22 hour work days
No hotel
No pay, for this by the way
Disciplined if they call out “fatigue”
So until you know the REAL story, don’t say this is NOT a big deal!
And for God’s sake, be nice to our crews. We have had enough!!
Wow-retired UA pilot, (5) years now and you’re still dealing with the same nonsense, a belligerent management.
In our contract negotiations, they attempted to pull the same nonsense, punishment for ‘fatigue calls’. Fatigue is real, however the flying public has no idea what goes on behind the scenes.
I don’t agree with this new sick leave policy but I don’t think that the Flight Attendants will ever be satisfied. They have some good points but usually it’s the same old issues. Higher pay. The FA’s chose to work for United Airlines. Bringing an airline (or any company) to its knees is not right. Do the passengers have any recourse? No, they pay the bills and salaries but get screwed in the end. United Airlines thinks that they are much better than they are.
“Continental policies” still making their way through. Gotta love a company that thinks they are a Doctor and know you only get ill M-Th. All you nay sayers and union goon haters will have your social media probed for golf,ski, or beach photos on your sick diy. So when you try and file suit because you got sick from a FA on a flight. No upgrade or free flight or drink chit ever again.
FMLA note for 365 days on your next Doctors visit will shut them up. 800hrs paid sick time before retirement because of bad thoughts vs getting a pat on the back on they way out the door with nothing given for time accrued worked well. 1 occasion – 20 weeks pay Love it!
I don’t want a sick crew member on my flight. I don’t want a sick person working with me and 100 other customers. People should not go to work sick.
And, What about the people who are actually sick? They have this contend with this incommodious requirement to get doctor notice of illness… on a weekend. What are they supposed to do go to emergency? Doctors close shop on Fridays early.
Gaming the system is not a surprise. It happens in all industries. Most industries don’t have weekend work.
I want staff to work and provide the service they should, ‘when they are well’. So move the money around, pay them more. Make their lives a shifts more accommodating. Close loopholes, shift both time and money in such a way to support quality of work life and quality of personal life. Pay them more with the goofy loophole(s) option. Companies game the system too. They they keep sick time hours from employees if not used. I’m certain there are other loopholes that the company writes in to its benefit.
Again I don’t want service from a sick person. I don’t care where they work. Or what their job is. Don’t expose me when I don’t need to be.
I’m so tired of these duca flight attendants expecting everyone to bow in deference to them because they decided to take a job notorious for low pay and hard work in crappy conditions. You took that job because you wanted the travel benefits. Now that the novelty has worn off you want to move the goal post and change the game. If you’re so miserable at your job, quit. You will not be missed by the guy in 23C. Just stop the whining about a career choice you made to enter an industry where the prominent benefit is the ability to travel the world.
😂😂😂 what a bitter man you are. Too bad it doesn’t work the way u think it does at all. Did somebody hurt you?? I hope you feel better soon 🥺❤️🩹🫶
You don’t GET IT! United is violating their contract! Another moron making comments about something they OBVIOUSLY know nothing about!!!
I happen to be a 46 year flight attendant who still loves her job. I make around 60,000-70,000 a year. I work extremely hard, and I even treat jerks like you with dignity. If you are going to criticize my career, make sure you get the correct info. Not sure why you hate us so much, but hope I never see you on one of my I International flights. I will remember your seat #!
“Pay begins upon arrival at the airport” for crew briefing and ends when exiting the gate and swiping the badge at the destination and not when doors are closed and opened….
That will solve just about anything else
And the second issue is if the pay sucks so bad and most flights are full why are people still wanting to be cabin crew for meager pay?
Glamour does not pay bills and we are at the point where flipping busters pays better than a junior FA gets paid.
When staff gets scarce the pay will increase simple as that 🙂
And if you want to be an Faa then you will need a location independent side hustle that helps fill the bank account. Nothing wrong with wanting to be an FA but by now none of this is fresh info. Been like that for a long time!
This is a reason to go on strike. This policy is ILLEGAL and inhumane!
I am not a lawyer, so I do not know the legalities of what united is doing here. What I do know, is that I do not want to be on a flight where a sick flight attendant is giving me my meal. I do not want to be on a flight where a sick flight attendant is unable to perform their safety duties . This is the type of policy that should only be instituted on a case by case basis. If someone routinely calls in sick on the weekends, call them in and tell them that further sick days will require a doctors note. It’s really pretty simple.
United is violating the law and targetng FAs with gov protected FMLA. They are not doing this to pilots or other departments- only FAs who have been living on an expired contract for YEARS, have no raise for YEARS. This is United’s retaliation for FAs finally voting to strike this week. What they are doing is VERY illegal! The doctor note they are requiring also asks for the doctors treatment plan for the employee wich also violates HIPPA laws.