AUGUST 17, 2021 — OUTSOURCING FOOD SERVICES IN CLEVELAND, OHIO
The company has announced that it is outsourcing its in-house kitchen operations, menu design, and administration function to third-party vendor Sky Cafe at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport in mid-October. Approximately 45 employees are impacted.
According to a company spokesperson, “In January, we noted that the Covid crisis had forced us to re-examine every aspect of our business, including catering."
AUGUST 1, 2021 — OUTSOURCING FOOD SERVICES IN DENVER, COLORADO
The company has announced that it is outsourcing its in-house kitchen operations, menu design, and administration function to third-party vendor Gate Gourmet. 454 employees at Denver International Airport in Denver, Colorado will be laid off and may be subject to re-hire by our new vendor. The layoffs are scheduled for October 19, 2021.
According to a company statement, "In January, United submitted a Request for Proposal to consider transitioning our kitchen operations and menu design functions to a third-party supplier. After a comprehensive six-month review, we are moving forward in partnership with three suppliers that will prioritize our current employees and advance our kitchen capabilities to improve the United customer experience."
JULY 13, 2020 — GETTING WORSE
The company has announced that it will lay off more than 4,700 workers in Houston, Texas, and Dallas, Texas commencing October 1, 2020, according to a WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) Act notice filed with the State of Texas.
The layoffs will include 71 employees at DFW International Airport, 3,904 employees at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport, and 781 employees at two other Houston, Texas locations.
The company also suggested that the layoffs could reach 40% of its nationwide workforce and total of 36,000 employees.
The decision was driven by the COVID-19 pandemic which has crippled air traffic and many destination attractions.
According to a company spokesperson, “Based on current demand, while we are hopeful the reductions for our frontline team members will be temporary, we presently anticipate that they will last six months or longer. Even if demand continues to slowly improve, it is unfortunately very likely that we will need to adjust the size of the company to reflect lower demand levels and implement a workforce reduction to reduce our labor expenses.”
In addition, an unknown number of contractors and vendors will also be affected.
The company has warned 66 employees at the Indianapolis International Airport that they could be laid off in October as part of a massive, nationwide reduction in force.
MAY 4, 2020 — UP TO 4,457 PILOTS AT RISK FOR JOB LOSS
According to the company’s route bidding procedure for pilots, there will be a “displacement” of 4,457 postions effective June 30, 2020 and affecting October 1, 2020 flight assignments.
According to Chief Pilot, Bryan Quigley …
“Even though the volume of this displacement is enormous, and its impact on the lives of many of our pilots significant, none of us should believe it solves all of our problems. This displacement bid aligns pilot staffing to a schedule reduction of around 30%, yet our schedule in May, and our expected schedule for June, are reduced by 90%. No one knows when travel demand will return, so, unfortunately, the results of this displacement are likely to be a baseline from which future displacements are conducted.”
According to various company spokespersons…
“Travel demand is essentially zero and shows no sign of improving in the near term. We expect to fly fewer people during the entire month of May than we did on a single day in May 2019.”
“I think this industry is going to be smaller for some period of time here as we build back, and I don’t know what that pace of recovery will be. It will really be dictated based on when customers feel safe to travel again in large numbers.”
“If we want to emerge stronger, if we want to emerge the world’s leading airline on the other side of this, we have to have flexibility. But that flexibility will likely mean economic pain in the form of unpaid leave or fewer hours for many in the short term.”
MAY 23, 2019 — Original Post…
Following through on their July 2018 transition announcement, Chicago-based United Airlines, has chosen July 2019 to initiate laying off 100 employees in its passenger revenue accounting department located in Houston, Texas. The jobs will be transitioned to an outsourced vendor.
According to a company spokesperson, “"This was a difficult decision and we understand the impact this announcement has on our employees. As such, we provided assistance in finding a position either within United or elsewhere. As one of the city's largest employers, we remain committed to the city and people of Houston and surrounding markets." There will be approximately 1,200 employees remaining at the Houston location.
Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere ... are you now wondering, Am I Next?
