United Airlines has just updated its policy for all flight attendants, and the union is claiming that this is a blatant violation of the current contract (thanks to @xJonNYC for flagging this).
Continue reading: United Airlines Updates Flight Attendant Sick Policy, Union Angry
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Most jobs require you provide a sick note of sorts if you're using your sick leave.
Maybe not a good time to defend a defacto strike AFA hmmmm...
How convenient that United is implementing this policy in the middle of what is their own operational meltdown. And while Delta might be suffering because of the design of the Atlanta hub or because of Delta’s in ability to get technology back on track, they aren’t blaming their people.
@ Tim Dunn -- It's hard to blame this policy on the current meltdown, in which case the airline would have this apply every day of the week. It has been implemented as of a Sunday, and won't apply again for the next four days, at which point United's operational will almost certainly be back to normal.
But I know, let's still make this about Delta. 😉
Notably, a similar condition was not applied to ALPA and the pilots.
If United paid their flight attendants better, maybe they could afford to take care of their health proactively?
Anyone that doesn’t think that United chose to implement this policy in the middle of their own own operational meltdown is beyond naïve. Of course, United is seeing flight attendants call in sick because they cannot get the operation fully Restarted. Double digit percentages of cancellations would be considered an operational meltdown at any airline when it happens on a day after day basis. United is just back handedly blaming its flight attendants for part of the problem, even as it is in labor negotiations.
This should give you great perspective on how well the AFA will do in getting a contract for United flight attendants that will not only raise their pay to levels that Delta flight attendants have enjoyed for years, get them the retro lthat Delta flight attendants never needed to be paid because they were paid at industry leading rates for years before Unions got around to it, and paid them for the value of money that all of these unionized flight attendant groups did not and will not be able to compensate for while management and unions have dragged out the negotiation process.
the only thing that is correct is that this won’t go away when United operation is Through melting down.
@Ben “Clearly some United flight attendants are misusing sick leave here to have their “hot girl summer”.
Quite a misogynistic statement…
My take: this is has nothing to do with current operational issues, or with current union negotiations, and everything to do with junior employees who believe they're entitled to time away whenever they feel like it. Not something exclusive to flight attendants, either - literally every industry across every field is struggling with Gen Z's complete lack of professional maturity when it comes to things like this.
In the case of flight attendants, despite being told it's a job that requires work on weekends, evenings, holidays, etc., there's probably an increasingly large swathe of Delta's FA workforce that still believes they should be able to 'call out' whenever they feel like it, and this policy is likely in response to that.
Edit: I wrote "Delta" in the second paragraph when I meant "United" - my bad. But same thing at pretty much every airline.
"Of course, United is seeing flight attendants call in sick because they cannot get the operation fully Restarted."
Why invest in employees that resort to doing things like this? They obviously don't care about the company or their customers. What a way to show you are willing to step up in times of need and earn that extra pay. If unionized employees earned the same as non-unionized employees, why would we need unions?
Nope Delta is just stranding their workers and telling them they can’t non rev(standby). Then not offering double time for flight attendants to come in right now but pleading with them via text desperately that they need them.Delta flights attendants aren’t falling for it and are highly upset
One has to wonder how this will work in states like Cailifornia? Didn’t California flight attendants get paid out before because of contract violations and this was very recently? My assumption is many lawyers will be contacted.
My other assumption is that flight attendants will call out Thursday and so it rolls into weekends and the amount of FMLA will surge.Also that United will get sued very soon but that is super obvious.United has been making good decisions lately but this one could having them paying out millions to their flight attendants potentially. Not a smart move
Feel free to post that memo. You won’t because it doesn’t exist. In fact just the opposite
I always laugh when I have employees start to feel sick on Thursdays. All but guaranteed I get a text the next morning they aren’t feeling well and need to take a sick day. Kudos to United
@A220
Many jobs don’t have a union and binding work rules/contract. The union already sent out a statement saying it’s a contract violation(United twisted the wording of the contract) and I’ve also heard several flight attendants will be contacting attorneys. Stay tuned, love
A sick note, like it's the 1950s at UA HQ? Their management could not be more dumb if it was intentional. Best you can do is go to urgent care or an equivalent and a lot of the time for other things you need an appointment which takes 2-3 days, so now you have people either out for several days or you have people coming to work sick. Awesome. Does this policy apply to management or nah?
If United gives you a difficult time with this and you a have FMLA contact the Department of Labor immediately as it’s illegal.
No way this was made up during/in response to the meltdown. If it's effective today, and the union has issued a response, it has been in discussion through the organization for a week, at least.
The easy answer to to provide a week-end differential for working days your Boss thinks are a problem. Works in many other work places. Incentivize the days most want off. You would be surprised how little people will trade time off for more pay……
Isn’t “hot girl summer” just a generic term? Plenty of gay men use it to describe their summer plans. Could be wrong.
I have no doubt that some people are abusing sick pay, but having to provide a certificate at the same time as you say you’re sick is ridiculous. If you wake at 3am to work a 6am flight and you’re sick how are you going to get it seconded that you’re sick in the middle of the night and before your shift begins?
Everything is always about Delta in TD’s world…. Jesus, stop shilling for Delta. You sound like an ass.
Very. They could be giving Kenergy or living their best Fire Island summer share.
and the AFA's statement accomplished precisely what?
It hasn't stopped United one iota.
The union files a grievance, the company sticks the grievance in a nice little file, and then throws them back across the table to save the jobs of X00s of FAs that the company was ready to terminate - and then gives up pay raises they could have otherwise gotten for other workers.
We all know how it works.
And then the answer that some give is that Delta told its FAs they couldn't fly standby to commute and people can't back that up with facts - and a memo?
It is no surprise that United chose to escalate this issue since it, like Delta, is in the third day of its operational meltdown.
Unlike Delta which threw its IT under the bus, UA threw its employees under the bus. And that tells you volumes about the difference between DL and UA and why UA FAs need a union and why DL FAs laugh when they see what union organizers say they can do and what they are actually able to deliver.
The AFA will throw its fist in the air, the company will throw the grievance in a file, and then slide the file across the negotiating table for a new contract with a price tag of $X million to rehire the FAs that UA is on the verge of firing.
And UA FAs will end up with less than industry leading because that is the way unionized labor-mgmt negotiations work.
We've seen this time and time again and so too have DL FAs which is why they want nothing to do with a union and have more opportunities to vote against the union than just about every other American worker.
Tim, do you honestly believe Delta pays their flight attendants more out of benevolence? I'm inclined to think Delta's flight attendants reap significant benefits because other airlines have unions. Delta seems to consistently raise pay whenever there's a hint of unionization.
@Tim Dunn
You are so tiresome. Your good comments get drowned out by your nonsense comments. Taken together, it makes you an unreliable source.
And for your own sake, get a life.
If only there were a thing such as online medical visits 24 hours per day….perhaps the could call it something like Teladoc
I don't think Delta flight attendants care WHY they get paid more.
They simply happily take the extra money to the bank.
If AA and UA have to put up with caustic labor relations with their FAs and "pay for the privilege" I would count myself very lucky that I get paid more, don't have to pay for someone to create an adversarial relationship, and I don't have to wait FIVE YEARS after the amendable date - and counting - to get a contract.
and DL doesn't blame its employees when things go wrong. But then neither did WN.
It’s about treating employees with respect and dignity. Empowering them to make the right decisions in the overall good of a United organization!
This isn’t just a little doctors note. UA FAs are in fact able to bring a doctors note before this policy for a reduction in the attendance points issued. It wasn’t required but during Christmas and 4th of July an absence certificate was required for roughly a week long period each. An absence certificate goes a lot more in depth into the employee’s medical condition, treatment, etc. It’s absolutely an overstep for year round sick calls. I don’t think most employers threaten termination if you don’t get detailed documentation stating that you have a cold…
What's the problem with this? I FULLY support this and hopefully other airline companies will do the same! Either go to work or find another job it's that simple!
Good thing you aren't my manager. I'll be damned to be associated with shills such as the likes of you