Today was the day, by 4:00PM CT, many of our flying partners from FRA, HKG and NRT had to decide to convert their October 1, 2020 separation to a retirement or resignation in order to maintain the benefits they earned over their dedicated careers, many spanning more than a quarter century.
In addition, many of our colleagues from these now closed international bases remain separated from the company while working to obtain the necessary paperwork to establish their right to work in the United States and others remain hopeful for the opportunity to be re-employed through potential openings in LHR or another international base. And, there are those who have transferred to a base stateside and now join us flying from the U.S. bases & satellites.
This is not the outcome any of us wanted or would have expected for these dedicated, long-term employees. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has decimated our industry and our airline since we started this fight after the company announced the closure of these bases.
We know that issues regarding benefits and pass travel privileges remain and we will continue to press forward with the company on behalf of these Members to get these established. The three (3) Local Councils continue to close out issues and will be available to assist should issues arise. These Members are part of our Union family and we want all of them to know we will be here when there are issues with which we can assist.
As a reminder, our EAP/Professional Standards peer professionals remain available to assist with the transition to resignation or retirement and we all stand ready to support those who remain hopeful for the opportunity to re-join our ranks. Contact EAP at 800 424 2406. We’re here to help.