He said the union will work to 'uncover every stone'' in its bid to cut the number of layoffs. 'The number United has given us is staggering, but make no mistake, it is my opinion the number is so high to create panic and erode our resolve to think smart and make good decisions,'' Diaz said. He suggested United issued eye-poppingВ potential layoff numbers in a bid to scare flight attendants and other affected to workers into accepting early retirement, extended unpaid leave and other voluntary programs. 'It is not commensurate to UnitedвЂ™s peers in our industry or with other work groups on the property, nor realistic with the anticipated staffing we will require to adapt and grow our airline back in the months to come,'' Diaz said. Ken Diaz, president of the United Master Executive Council of the AFA, called the projected number ofВ flight attendant cuts 'overreaching, excessive and punitive'' in an email to flight attendants. Her union called for a six-month extension of payroll protection for the aviation industry, given the dire straits, but United officials saidВ they can't count on more help from Washington, especially in an election year. Not so fast: United to pare back just announced August flights as coronavirus cases surge Demand was just barely climbing back to 20% of last year and even those minimal gains evaporated over the last week due to surging COVID-19 cases across the country.' aviation industry,' she said in a statement.В 'This crisis dwarfs all others in aviation history and there's no end in sight. 'COVID-19 is an unprecedented threat to aviation workers and the entire U.S. Sara Nelson,В president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, which represents United flight attendants, called the numbers a 'gut punch'В but praised United for offering a realistic outlook. United's flight attendant, pilot union leaders react The airline had to put a number on the cutsВ because of federal requirements to warn employees about mass layoffs. And involuntary furloughs come as a last resort, after months of company-wide cost-cutting and capital-raising.' It continued, 'The reality is that United simply cannot continue at our current payroll level past October 1 in an environment where travel demand is so depressed. 'After months of aggressive cost-cutting and proactive capital-raising, today we updated employees about a topic weвЂ™ve always dreaded and the action that was always a last resort in the context of this COVID-19 pandemic: involuntary furloughs,' the statement began.

The 36,000 does not include 1,400 previously announced layoffs of management and administrative employees. United executives said in a briefing with reporters that they hope the final tally, which will be known in mid- to late August, will be less than 36,000 as more employees accept voluntary exit programs.В The airline extended the application window for its voluntary separation program to July 15 to encourage more employees to sign up. The program was designed to stabilize airlines and keep workers employed until they could shrink their businesses to the travel reality brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

United received a $3.5 billion grant and $1.5 billion loan for payroll protection. 1 under the payroll protection provisions of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act.

The airlineВ calls them involuntary furloughs because most of the affected employees will be eligible to be recalled when travel demand returns under terms of their union contracts.ДЄirlines are prohibited from laying off workers until Oct. 1.В The most affectedВ groups:В flight attendants and airport customer service and gate agents, which account for 26,000 of the 36,000. In a memo to employees, the Chicago-based airline said 36,000 employees, or 45% of its front-line workers in the USA and more than a third of its overall workforce of 95,000, face layoffs on or around Oct. United Airlines warned employees for months that mass layoffs loomed if travel didn't rebound, and the airline put a grim face on the expected tally Wednesday. Watch Video: United Airlines shrinking as debt grows amid virus

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