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their seniority. Seniority depended on the length of time an
employee had worked for NWA, regardless of where the airline
facility was located. An employee with higher seniority could
bump an employee with less seniority and take that employee’s
position. The employee with less seniority could then take the
layoff or find another employee with less seniority to bump.
This seniority bumping arrangement was in place across the
country, so that an NWA mechanic looking to keep his or her job
at NWA had to look at several different cities to find a less
senior employee to bump.
Mr. Riley received a bump notice in April 2003. Mr. Riley
chose to exercise his seniority and bump another employee rather
than accept the layoff. Mr. Riley was able to bump to Newark,
New Jersey. He started working in Newark in May 2003. Mr. Riley
worked in Newark for 14 months, until July 2004 when he quit the
Newark job.
Mr. Riley’s position in Newark had no specific end date.
After he was bumped from his position in Minneapolis, no NWA
position was available for him to return to in Minneapolis. Mr.
Riley was forced to bump other employees and work in a different
city to stay with NWA. NWA’s needs for mechanics in Minneapolis
as well as the choices of other mechanics also subject to the
seniority system would influence the timing of Mr. Riley’s return
to an NWA position in Minneapolis.
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Last modified: November 10, 2007