For United CEO Scott Kirby, the stakes are high. Attracting passengers back to United Airlines will require more than a vaccine; it will require a genuine feel of safety onboard. Per Kirby, that starts with masks. That’s why he is warning United employees that they better mask up or face termination.
United CEO To Employees: Wear Mask Or Face Termination
With an effective vaccine production and distribution, Kirby sees recovery taking off in 2021 and full demand returning in 2022. But as United enters an “intermediate phase” of waiting, Kirby laid down the law in a video address to employees viewed by Live and Let’s Fly.
His Thanksgiving video address covered many topics, but his stark warning on masks stood out:
“But while I’m really excited about what 2022 and beyond will look like, we have got to remain focused and disciplined during this intermediate phase. I’ve heard increasing reports about mask compliance as a prime example.
We can’t let our guard down. It’s so important that we make sure that we keep safety protocols number one as we go though the crisis. We’re an airline. And at an airline, safety is number one. When we talk about the core4, we talk about safety as the number one issue, and this is a safety issue.
And so I’ve asked our leadership team to buckle down on making sure we enforce mask compliance and all of the safety protocols. And I hope it doesn’t mean this, but it can mean termination. Because, while I would hate to lose anyone from the United team over mask compliance, I would hate even more to lose you permanently over lack of mask compliance.”
(bolding mine)
I do think Kirby understands the stakes. Masks are about optics just as much as they are about providing actual safety. That’s not to dismiss their objective help in containing the spread of virus, but merely to observe that masks provide a psychological security blanket as well.
When employees, especially those in uniform, do not wear masks or wear them improperly, people begin to question other elements of safety as well. Trust is quickly forfeited and the result is lost business, potentially on a long-term basis.
CONCLUSION
For Kirby, masks are not just about safety, but about revenue. That’s a right and proper way to look at them and his warning to employees is absolutely on point. I’ve flown a lot on United over the last couple months and have not witnessed a member of ground staff or flight crew improperly wearing a mask even once. But even a small problem–a few bad apples–can rot the tree. The new warning is direct, but reasonable.
The only thing worse than United enforcing employee mask compliance like this would be Joe Chivas enforcing employee mask compliance.
I think Kirby is now just as bad as these crazy Governors from California, NY, Oregon ect… He sounds more like a Dictator then a C.E.O. unbelievable is man is!!! Makes me want to start looking else where for flying. Keep it up Kirby! You will be hated by you’re enployees in no time
I could care less if the crew or anyone else wear a mask, I don’t fly United because they are so bad at being an airline. If they would up their game, they might win some additional business – it’s certainly not their FA’s mask wearing compliance keeping people off their flights.
I hate being forced to wear a mask. I’m a pilot. I’m tired of everyone walking around trying to police everything. 3 members in my family are doctors. I have visited the hospital as well and they are not wearing masks. They said there is nothing to worry about with covid 19. The state is forcing the type of treatment so the doctors have to change the diagnosis in order to treat and release. There is no solid reputable evidence that these masks save everybody. The lack of intelligence in this country just baffles me. People waiting 5 hours to get a test that’s only about 46% accurate that doesn’t even test for covid-19. Only tests for a corona virus that may cause COVID 19. I know someone that tested positive twice. They also had the antibody test after that and it showed negative.
I agree jess it’s just stupidity, the day you start believing experts, media and politicians then you have lost all your rights as a free person. How in the world do we know if the numbers of covid deaths are right, just because the news saids so? Really then they show a video of a body bag who knows probably a dummy in there or someone died of something else but they mark it as covid. FEAR IS THE BEST WAY TO CONTROL POPULATION. People wake up, all of this is planned. Look up AGENDA 21 educate yourself, massive conspiracy by world governments. As far as united CEO I guess he is blaming his employees for reduce travel capacity and not the politicians keep telling people don’t travel stay in, quarantine and so on, maybe he want to reduce his staffing and will use this to terminate his workers. Typical CEO, it be interesting to see how many discrimination lawsuits will be filed from employees if they get fired, they want you to wear a mask even if the mask creat a major discomfort. So much ignorance and stupidity about covid, how many people die from drunk driving or get an innocent person killed cause they were drunk, so why don’t we stop selling liquor. Oh no way we have to have alcohol. Stop putting panic in people and get a life
You’re the precise reason why Scott Kirby is saying this. He’s talking to you. You’re no exception.
When will Q come to save us all? World cabal! It’s all a big conspiracy! LOLOL so mentally ill.
Rather be mentally ill than stupid, by the way why don’t you take 4 vaccine my be it wake you up.
Max: “the day you start believing experts (…) you have lost all your rights as a free person.”
Max is not intelligent. Don’t be Max.
Jess, your family is either full of horrible, irresponsible doctors or you’re full of BS. I’ve been practicing medicine for 20+ years, and I’m here to tell you: The masks make a difference! The majority of our patients coming in are anti maskers or people contracting it from someone close to them. Wear the mask PLEASE for the sake of those you care about. Stop politicizing public health!!
United Airlines needs to take better care of their customers or they are going to have to worry about who is wearing a mask !
Lol! Stop politicizing it, just do what the politicians tell you. Lmao!
If you can get a cold more than once it’s same concept you can get covid again antibodies only help you fight it off not make you immune.
I work at a hospital as a manager.
In our outpatient clinic, all of our nurses, medical assistants and providers are wearing N95s plus face shields or glasses. All other staff are wearing surgical masks. I enforced it strictly for about two weeks, until it became second nature.
Anyone with exposure to a suspected or confirmed Covid 19 patient is, of course, in full droplet and contact PPE.
I suspect you or your relatives aren’t being truthful.
Yeah sure. your doctors sound more like naturopaths who are happily sitting on the sidelines while actual doctors battle this disease
Doesn’t surprise me hearing this from “someone up front”, which is EXACTLY where the problem of mask compliance is occurring. It’s not about being “smart” or “knowledgeable” as much as adherence to company policy. Do you have issues with wearing a uniform or parking in the employee lot properly? How about queuing for take-off or taxiing to the gate? Do you know better than ATC??
You won’t find anyone in a customer-facing position fighting this rule. It may not prevent us from getting the virus but it does reassure passengers that United is taking precautions to foster a clean, safe environment for customers to travel. Obviously it isn’t fool-proof — they still manage to find their way thru the airport and onto the aircraft (some of them have crew ID)
Is this a real person!
I hope people with strength of conviction and a spine will quit but refuse to wear masks.
I think what you will find is that the image of Americans as strong independent individualists is a myth. A lot are spineless, love their paychecks and will do anything for it. Notice all the white Republican senators on their knees kissing the trump ass while talking about law and order and the constitution.
I sense TDS here
Do you? Where do you see Trump Defender Syndrome?
Your comment makes little sense!
@Jess: “’m tired of everyone walking around trying to police everything. 3 members in my family are doctors. I have visited the hospital as well and they are not wearing masks. They said there is nothing to worry about with covid 19.” Good job I’m not in care of your family doctors; any MD who says that is someone to run way from.
It’s no secret that this has been a political hot potato because of the current White House occupant. And many pilots like Jess are Republicans. Some of the biggest offenders with compliance at my airline are pilots. They think they’re God and you can’t tell them any different. We went through this during our merger with one group of pilots being cavalier about safety. And guess what? Most of those pilots were Southern Republicans. I hope they ARE terminated if they can’t follow safety protocol.
Typical northern liberal biggot.
I wish Kirby and the rest of them would realize that the mask foolishness has the opposite effect on many travelers and will likely hurt their business more than it helps. I certainly will not return to my 6 flight/week schedule until the mask requirements are removed and I hear the same from most of my peers.
Correction: masks are far more about optics than about actual safety. There have been studies showing that the effectiveness of cloth masks is pretty low. And, ask yourself: how is it that this current surge (the worst yet) is happening months after all of the mask mandates were put into effect? If masks were effective, wouldn’t that have prevented this? After all, back in March/April there were very few people wearing masks. Yet there is actually a faster spread now in most places.
I’ll even post a link to an article questioning this: https://redstate.com/scotthounsell/2020/09/10/the-cdc-accidentally-admits-cloth-masks-are-not-effective-n254048
There are others. As someone who has worked with PPE for 30 years now, I have long questioned these cloth mask mandates. They seem to be all about optics more than anything else. Bread and circuses for the little people. And now you’ll be fired from UA if you allow a peek behind the curtain.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/10/30/science/wear-mask-covid-particles-ul.html
Red State…was nothing from Breitbart or the Daily Caller available?
Thankfully the anti-maskers are a distinct minority (though still too large) in this country. We are a joke to the rest of the world these days.
That was the first one I could find, but they cite the CDC. If you actually understand how PPE works (beyond the level of the average View-watching birdbrain), you understand that the virus can pass through the cloth fibers as easily as a mosquito can pass through a mesh fence. While the cloth can catch some sputum/saliva/droplets that the wearer discharges (which may contain viral particles), some will still pass. And if the virus is not contained within a liquid droplet, it goes wherever it wants. You need a higher grade of mask to prevent that from happening.
Not to mention that PPE needs to be used, worn and managed in very specific ways to be effective at all. So, through my link was from RedState (God forbid, blah, blah, blah), it is presents some facts. Something that HuffPo and other left wing outlets won’t do because the truth (in this case) doesn’t fit their narrative.
The only positive I have to say about the masks is that they promote some form of normalcy in a perverse way. People think that protects them, so they will go out and shop or eat. But the reality is that they don’t do much for you. Which is why the governors of NJ and CA, Nancy Pelosi and Lori Lightfoot were recently busted being hypocritical for not wearing them (in contradiction to their own rules). They actually know what I’m positing here is true, which is why they don’t seem to worry.
Here you go, hot off the presses from the CDC – care to comment?
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6947e2.htm?s_cid=mm6947e2_w
Yes, I agree that cloth mask effectiveness is low. That is why I say everyone should be wearing surgical mask and starting Spring 2021 start wearing N95 masks. In March 2020, there was a shortage of surgical masks so we had to sacrifice so doctors and hospitals would have enough. I have read that the shortage of surgical masks has been fixed and the N95 shortage is almost fixed but not quite.
I am not surprised. Regardless of where you work, and the industry, it is becoming common policy. I am working at a corporate job, and they do similar.
Let us see what happens into 2022. Hopefully, things turn around with the vaccines, and other things regarding coronavirus.
Wear the pointless talisman on your face or get fired. Oh the scientific ignorance…
If face diapers and lockdowns work, why are we doing it all over again?
If face diapers and masks DIDNT work the first time, WHY are we doing it again?
Liberals are brain dead and drunk on power.
I just flew United to Hawaii. They said they were blocking middle seats when I booked. I had to sign a waiver that I would wear a face mask covering my nose and mouth. Imagine how I felt when I arrived to a totally full flight, no distancing and the flight attendants made no effort to enforce mask wearing adherence. I have flown all over the world since I was a little girl and I have never felt so unsafe. I will never fly United again. Masks and distancing save lives and their blatant disrespect is unacceptable.
Pretty sure you were notified ahead of time that your flight would be full and you were given the chance to change flights if you felt unsafe. You’re leaving that part out. I’ve had several flights that I received multiple notifications for each time.
If you really believe that leaving middle seats open are going to keep you from getting a virus, maybe you should just stay home and not fly. The seats are approx. 3 feet wide. The medical professionals are saying to stay 6 feet apart. And let’s not forget about the people directly in front of you and the people directly behind you. Can you say, DUH??!!
The planes are cleaned at every turn and are disinfected. The planes are more sanitary than your own bathroom.
Maybe because Republicans are too stupid and headstrong to wear a mask? Get with the program already.
https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2020/06/25/republicans-democrats-move-even-further-apart-in-coronavirus-concerns/
I’m a airline employee and do I think it’s over the top? Maybe but when my employer tells me to wear my mask or risk termination then it’s a no brainer. I’m not at work to whine about this mask, I’ve been traveling most of this year with this mask on. Take care of yourself and the person next to you.
Of course the conservative trolls like yourself fail to see that its a combination of measures that has helped reduce incidences of Covid. But in Conservative Cuckoo land, as Dear Leader has said masks dont work, lemmings like yourself will follow that failed businessman off a cliff.
The warning is not reasonable and the choice of the term “objective help” is asinine. Wearing a mask is as much an indication of ability as wearing an idiotic uniform with stripes and stars. However, if it comforts your tiny mind, then……
I’m 100% on board with masks, but they’re also pushing termination warnings to employees who don’t do daily temperature checks. With the asymptomatic nature of this virus a temp check proves nothing! And I don’t need one to know if I have a fever and should stay home either! PCR test us!
I don’t fly United because they suck, now definitely not flying them because of there socialist dictator CEO.
Post about wearing a mask and… of course. Dirtbag parade in the comment section.
I don’t care if you like it or understand why it helps. Wear a [redacted] mask.
I’d ask the gentleman to watch his language.
Everyone is looking forward to vaccine, seriously how do you know and trust the so-called vaccine? Just because the socalled experts say so? Seriously look at the videos online where so many doctors don’t even vaccinate their young children, vaccines decrease your bodies immune system, I for one have not taken a flu shot over 10 years, and gotten a cold maybe 2 times in 10 years, where as before with flu shot I got more frequent colds. The doctors who push flu shot and vaccines are in bed with pharmaceutical companies so they can get their vacation paid for or huge bonuses. How can the so called experts guarantee me that this vaccine specially covid which is rushed to make will not give you side affects and even damage body organs that you might not notice right away but see the affects years later, I rather get covid (overrated cold) rest and let my immune system heal me. Now common sense off the people with pre existing conditions then yes they have to do their own precautions but to mandate socialism to wear a mask, that is outrageous. Save yourselves and do not take the vaccine. I am so saddened that frontline employees will get this vaccine first, a friend of my quit his hospital job so that he won’t be forced to take the vaccine. Be smart
Why do you bother posting here? Just go to QAnon Reddit or some other conspiracy site, you’ll be happier among your own kind.
Lol I guess I am touching a liberal socialist nerve. Hehe
Nah, you’re just a pointless troll
This time next year it will be improved hygiene which has reduced the incidences of Covid as per these pro death “activists”
Still a bunch of anti-mask morons. The evidence is in, and they work.
To the know-nothings who ask why the incidence of Covid is rising, just look at the east coast. We got hit hard, then started wearing masks. When people got tired of wearing them and slacked off, our numbers started back up again.
All you need to do is overlay the map of the US showing the states Trump won, with a map of the US and the worst Covid cases. It’s almost a direct match.
Oh yeh, Trump lost.
There are 250,000+ (and counting) Americans who also succumbed to this virus, some a victim of their own ignorance or unfounded belief in Our Dear Leader’s misinformation. They would refute the “no-maskers” assertion that this pandemic is “fake” or a “Liberal ruse” (if they could). Sadly, their voices are unheard.
“There are many angry and ignorant people in the world – they seem to be breeding in record numbers.”
Dalton Trumbo in Trumbo.
Sure, the virus CAN pass through the masks that members of the public are being asked or told to wear But not as easily or in the same volume.
Go outsise on a cold day You can see your breath while you exhale (in a big puff)
Do the same through a mask or a cloth t-shirt. You’ll see a much, much smaller puff from exhaling. Most of the moisture (aka virus) is trapped.
Yeah come n work in the back.. u pilots are up in the cockpit nice and safe with clean air..we flight attendants have to deal with people complying to the recommendation from the CDC. One of ours just passed so don’t tell me its a hoax.
My FA from CUN-LAX a few weeks back looked for every opportunity to take his mask off. By the end of the flight he wasn’t even trying to keep it on. He was more interested in talking about outdoor dining and bars open in Weho with the off duty/vacationing FAs in row 4.
The CEO of American Airlines should do the same, they are no better than United.
If any airline adopts a voluntary mask policy,that’ll be my airline of choice going foward.Hopefully united unions step up and do their job and put this fool on notice, because there’s contracts in place for a reason.its called progressive discipline,unfortunately these want to be Gestapos think they have free reign to control people as they see fit.
Everyone has a opinion about wearing mask but make no mistake. This virus is real & not political & for scott to mention termination i have to agree with him because to control this virus everyone needs to make that sacrifice for the short term to get the economy opened again & return to some normal. Otherwise we will have no freedom & forced to stay home , worse than the first shutdown. Thats in addition to layoffs for the long haul & dont look for the government to bail you out like the first time. We see long lines already for food to survive another week, others dying at an alarming rate & No this isnt fake news, Its Reality.
No air travel for me until the face diapers are no longer mandatory.
Amen my brother.i don’t want enrich these fools pockets who think they can control peoples lives with the stroke of a pen.
Masks are all about politics and power. The 2017-2018 flu season recorded 45 million cases and 62,000 influenza respiratory and pulmonary deaths. How many commenting contributors here know about these deaths? How come no publicity and no mask mandates during that season of death? And the present number of Covid deaths are inflated because of dollars and cents if treatment or death is related to Covid. Death numbers are stacked with those who died OF Covid, PLUS those who died WITH Covid. Statistically, listing those who died of and those who died with Covid is a significant distinction and skews the findings. I’m 66 and had Covid last March/April – what normally last 2-3 days was 10 days of cold-flu symptoms, horrible cough, fatigue, and loss of taste smell. Not a big deal, really folks. First time in my adult life in which I sat on the couch and read, slept, watched TV, and didn’t/couldn’t do squat. So, my wife, and son, and I have flown twice during the mask mandate from John Wayne to DFW to Nashville and back. I resist wearing a mask by continuing to eat my 10 pretzels and drink my 6 oz bottle of water the entire flight. Only one leg of one of those flights was there a mask Nazi FA. When harassed, I held out my partially nibbled pretzel or took a swig from my complimentary water. I am the mask resistance folks. And I see so many sheep followers of the government mandate. I really chuckle when I stop at a traffic light and glance over at solo driver with the windows rolled yet fully masked up. It seems like some sort of virtue signaling. I mean what else could it be. Not much different than those who sported a Swaztika and gave a zig heil salute to show alliance with the cause. Besides myself, I personally know of two other people who have had Covid. I don’t know anyone personally who died of Covid. I live in Orange County California and know a lot of people as an attorney and through membership in a mega church which now meets regularly and mask-less by option. Bottom line we don’t need to wear masks and we don’t need to shut down our economy because of an admittedly nasty virus when 99% of those infected recover. The average age of Covid death in California is 78 years old. The average age of death in California is 78. I do not want to be insensitive to those with co-morbidities and susceptible to serious life-threatening complications, but it is these folks where the target hardening is essential. But the same is not required across the board for relatively healthy people. Virtue-signaling mask wearers, please pull your mask down below your eyes so you can see reality – 99.9 recover. Either be smart and RESIST THE MASK and return to a normal life like me, or be smart and BUY STOCK in PPE manufacturers. Considering the current mentality of the masses, do both and you’ll be ahead.
Masks are all about respect for your neighbor, every other excuse is divisive and plain jibberish.
Respect for neighbor also tells them the the truth. And the truth is this: The airline’s self imposed mandates are akin to corporate hari-kari by continuing to stoke Covid fear by mandating mask wearing. Yet at the same time, what do the airlines do? They pack the planes like a can of sardines. Yep, pack them together in a closed space for hours on end with no way to “social distance.” But listen folks, this mask will protect you from Covid, even when you momentarily remove your mask to eat or drink because, well, even the Covid virus knows not to attack during these “olly-olly oxen free” moments. I’m so relieved our Covid control masters follow the science in these flying Petrie dishes in the sky. Reminds me of Jack Nicholson’s line in “A Few Good Men,” when he said “You can’t handle the truth.” Or better yet, it seems Pontius Pilate had insight into our post-modern relativistic world when he aptly stated “What is truth?”
I see these comments about comments made by people who are in the grand picture of life for the most part irrelevant. Everyone needs to step back from the mirror and asses their life and where they are going. Why do we think so much of ourselves that we believe that our opinions matter when for the most part it wouldn’t impact most any ones life wether we lived or died.
Stop offering your opinions, get a cheese tray to go with your wine, do what you’ve been asked or told to do, and everyone will be fine. Remember that when all is said and done, none of us will get out of this alive.
“myself”
It is difficult to tell so many, to include multiple Airline CEO’s, who are essentially Fascist Marxists, without resorting to pejorative profanity, exactly what is thought of them. This includes the ignorant maskers who swallow the propogandist narrative like a two bit hooker on a street corner, absolutely blaming the virus for their unemployment rather than the democrats and ignorant republicans who buckled under the “no one can die” narrative. Our nation is doomed because of weak stupid moronic zoo toadies like Kirby and all of the other news media and almost all of the politicians that have the spine of a willow branch. This nation didn’t have to buy into the narrative of “no one can die”. It didn’t have to be like this. Millions and millions of lives globally have been ruined for something with a survival rate much greater than 99.9 % .