A. PERIOD OF FURLOUGH
A furlough may be for a period of up to five (5) years, or a period equal to
the Pilot’s length of service prior to the furlough, up to a maximum of ten
(10) years.
B. ORDER OF FURLOUGH
The order of furloughs will be by inverse order of seniority.
C. NOTICE OF FURLOUGH
1. When a furlough is scheduled, the Company
shall first notify the MEC of the number of Pilots to be furloughed and
effective date of the furlough. Thereafter, the Company shall post a notice at
all Pilot bases advising of the effective date of the furlough, the anticipated
length of the furlough, and the number of Pilots to be furloughed.
2. Notice of furlough shall be by Certified
Mail, Return Receipt Requested, overnight mail, hand delivery with personal
contact, or telephone call, to the most recent address provided by the Pilot,
and shall state the effective date of the furlough.
3. Notice of furlough by personal contact or
telephone call shall be confirmed in writing by Certified Mail, Return Receipt
Requested, from the Company.
4. A furloughed Pilot will file his current
address and telephone number with the Company at the time of furlough. Any change in address or telephone number
must be supplied to the Company promptly.
5. A Pilot shall receive not less than two (2)
weeks advance notice in writing of any furlough, or pay in lieu thereof;
provided that when conditions outside the Company’s control, such as war,
foreign invasion, strikes, work stoppages, mandatory and unanticipated
grounding of aircraft, official State emergency or Act of God, render such
notice impossible, the pay provision shall not apply. Strikes and work
stoppages mean strikes and work stoppages against the Company called by any
union or unions having agreements with the Company that would physically
cripple the Company to the extent that it would be unable to perform its
function as a common carrier.
6. The Company may cancel a furlough by notice
to the Pilot in writing prior to the effective date of the furlough period.
D. FURLOUGH BENEFITS
1. Health Plan benefits will be continued for
up to sixty (60) days during the furlough period. If after sixty (60) days a
Pilot has not been recalled, benefit coverage will cease and the Pilot will
receive information about COBRA benefits.
2. When a Pilot is
furloughed, he shall receive his accrued vacation pay. The Company will make
every effort to insure that expense reimbursement checks will be issued within
three (3) weeks from the date the Company receives a Pilot’s final expense
report.
E. RECALL
Recall is subject to the following conditions:
1. Pilots will be
recalled in order of system seniority.
2. If a Pilot is
recalled, he shall retain his number on the Pilot seniority list and will have
his longevity date adjusted to reflect the amount of time served prior to the
furlough.
3. A Pilot shall
not be considered recalled for pay purposes until he reports for duty in
accordance with this Article.
1. Notification
of recall will be made by telephone, followed by certified letter to the
address on file.
2. A Pilot
so notified must respond within seven (7) days of receipt of notice, and must be
eligible to return to work within twenty-one (21) days.
3. At the
time of recall, the Pilot must present Licenses and Certificates in good
standing, including a current first or second class Medical Certificate.
4. A
recalled Pilot shall complete a system-wide preference bid upon reporting for
service. The Pilot shall be placed either into service, if qualified, or into
training if not qualified for his position.
5. When a Pilot is
recalled from furlough, he shall be paid in accordance with the appropriate
Articles of this Agreement for the status and equipment he was awarded in the
system-wide preference bid in Paragraph F.4., (above).
1. A Pilot rejecting recall from furlough
shall notify the Chief Pilot by Certified Mail (Return Receipt Requested),
telephone call, facsimile transmission, overnight mail, or hand delivery,
within ten (10) calendar days following receipt of notification.
2. A Pilot who
fails to notify the Company of his intentions, or who refuses recall within ten
(10)calendar days following receipt of recall notice, shall be removed from the
recall list and from the Pilot seniority list.
In recognition of the seasonal nature of the
Company’s business, the Company may offer voluntary leaves in lieu of furlough
in order to encourage Pilots throughout the seniority list to accept such
leaves. Voluntary leaves in lieu of furlough shall be subject to the following
conditions:
1. A Pilot not scheduled for furlough may
request a leave of absence until the earlier of; (a) the order of recall to the
last furloughed Pilot pursuant to Paragraph 4., (below), or (b) five (5) years.
2. The number of
such leaves shall not exceed the number of Pilots to be furloughed and shall be
granted in seniority order.
3. A Pilot on such
leave will be eligible to return to active service when recall is offered,
using his seniority to return in lieu of a furloughed Pilot.
4. A Pilot on such
leave during a furlough may defer return to active service during a recall provided
there will be Pilots on furlough after the recall.
5. A Pilot returning from such leave shall return to a position that his seniority will
hold, in accordance with Article 24, Filling of Vacancies.
6. A Pilot who
takes such voluntary leave shall retain and continue to accrue seniority during
the period of such leave. Benefit
continuation shall be in accordance with Article 13.A.8.
7. A Pilot who
takes a voluntary leave in lieu of furlough shall be paid any pay due him at
the time he leaves active service under the same terms and conditions as those Pilots furloughed.
I.
Any Pilot
recalled from furlough shall be guaranteed a minimum of sixty (60) days
employment or sixty (60) days pay and credit in lieu thereof.