An airport employee is gesturing on the asphalt while an American Airlines Airbus 220 is seen at the gate of Washington National Airport (DCA) in Arlington, Virginia on December 18, 2020.
Daniel Slim | AFP | Getty Images
American Airlines on Wednesday said it would send additional announcements to about 13,000 employees this week, as the second round of federal wage benefits will expire and travel demand remains at odds.
Rival United Airlines sent similar warnings to 14,000 staff members last Friday.
The most recent $ 15 billion congress approved by U.S. carriers late last year called on airlines to remember the employees they sent in the fall and keep wages until March 31. It was Covid’s second round of aid to industry; Congress gave airlines $ 25 billion last March to prevent them from downsizing by the fall.
Only after they reported record annual losses of $ 34 billion, the US airline’s CEO warned last month that he did not expect a strong return of air travel in the near future.
Employers are legally obliged to notify staff of possible redundancies or temporary trips, generally 60 days in advance. Notifications do not guarantee that recipients will eventually lose their jobs.
US CEO Doug Parker told employees last week that the carrier is still overburdened with current demand projections and that there could be progress.
“I don’t want anyone to be surprised if the company will issue WARN notifications in the near future,” Parker told a staffed town hall last week, whose sound was reviewed by CNBC. He said the company would work with unions to reduce the road through voluntary measures.
Airline unions are now seeking an additional $ 15 billion in support of federal industry pay to keep their jobs until Sept. 30.