As we reported earlier this week, today (November 12, 2021) United management will be acting on the schedules of Flight Attendants who were granted a Reasonable Accommodation (RAP). The company will be placing those awarded a RAP on either a Personal or Medical Leave of Absence, for pairings departing November 16, 2021, or later.
Flight Attendants placed on Medical Leave of Absence will receive medical benefits consistent with Section 15.N. of the Contract and will be placed on direct bill and pay effective as of December 1, 2021. Billing is generated on the 10th of each month.
Flight Attendants placed on a Personal Leave of Absence will have health & wellness benefits through the last day of November. Effective December 1, 2021, these individuals will also be placed on direct bill and pay and will be responsible for the full cost of coverage for these benefits for the period of their personal leave of absence. Billing will be generated as of the 10th of the month for the following month’s coverage.
In both cases, Flight Attendants will continue to bid their 2022 vacations and will be paid for those vacation periods within 45 days of the scheduled vacation period in 2022.
As a reminder, Flight Attendants may elect to fly pairings that overlap the November 16th effective date of leave and will be placed on their respective leave of absence the day after completion of the pairing. In addition, Flight Attendants may elect to retire rather than be placed on the personal leave of absence – a status from which retirement is not possible. In a similar way, you may complete any overlapping assignment and elect to retire, effective the day after the assignment, rather than being placed on personal leave.
We understand there are questions about the disposition of company property – that is the Link device, Crew badge, and/or parking tags. We are pursuing from management information on how the company plans to address these items. However, these plans have not been finalized.
We hope to have additional information early next week to share with you.