This @CNBC story is blowing up, but please read past the headline to what @united says: not a single furlough or layoff before September 30. That's because of the payroll grants our union proposed and fought for. Let me explain 1/8 cnbc.com/amp/2020/03/27…
First, let's be crystal clear: the aviation plan in this bill is labor's plan. @afa_cwa proposed it, our labor family leaned in, @RepPeterDeFazio championed it, many others helped, and @SenSchumer and @SpeakerPelosi made sure it crossed the finish line #WorkersFirst 2/8
The grants in this package go 100% to workers. It guarantees paychecks and benefits for hundreds of thousands of aviation workers--from Flight Attendants and pilots to mechanics, cleaning crews and even contract catering workers 3/8
This is unprecedented. The federal gov't is backing pay and benefits for our workforce, and at the same time corporations will be held to higher standards for their behavior. It's a model we should fight for for every worker 4/8
Here's the hard truth: right now, that promise goes through September 30. But think about that. For the next six months, around 2 million hourly workers (yes, we're all hourly) will get full pay and benefits backed by the federal gov't 5/8
Without this, nearly a million aviation workers would be laid off in the coming weeks. Even more shortly after that. This package saved hundreds of thousands of jobs, keeps people strong to help others, and ready to help our country take off again 6/8
We're praying that we'll be in a much stronger position come Sept. But we need to be realistic, too. #COVID19 has already hit aviation harder than 9/11 and the Great Recession COMBINED. It's going to take time to return to full speed 7/8
If the summer passes and the industry is still struggling, we'll fight to get more resources to prevent layoffs, and we'll hold the employers accountable too. And in the meantime, we'll fight to extend these kinds of protections to every worker we can. #WorkersFirst 8/8
