United Airlines to lay off 688 flight attendants

CHICAGO, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- U.S. carrier United Airlines said it would lay off 688 flight attendants because voluntary departures fell short of the company goal for streamlining.

WMAQ-TV, Chicago, reported the airline expects the furloughs to begin in April.

"We offered opportunities to flight attendants for both voluntary furloughs and job-sharing programs in order to mitigate involuntary furloughs, but these programs did not generate enough volunteers and we are faced with the difficult step of furloughing 688 flight attendants," the airline said in a statement late Wednesday.

The Association of Flight Attendants said it had been working toward streamlining solutions that did not use forced furloughs.

"Successful airlines do not lay off workers, they work with the union for solutions," Greg Davidowtich, president of the United Master Executive Council, said in a statement.

"AFA will continue to pursue any and all opportunities that mitigate the devastating effects this decision will have on those being laid off, and on our company as a whole. We will continue to advocate to management to find alternatives that avoid job loss, and work collaboratively for creative and reasonable solutions. It's not too late to turn this thing around, management can still choose to do the right thing," Davidowtich said.

United has a worldwide workforce of about 84,000, WMAQ-TV said.