§ 220.20 - Duty to hire.

(a) Subject to § 220.24, a covered air carrier shall have the duty to hire a designated employee, regardless of age, who otherwise meets the qualification requirements established by such carrier before it hires any other applicant when such carrier is seeking to fill a vacancy in the designated employee's occupational specialty from outside its work force. As used herein “work force” shall include all present employees and any furloughed or terminated employees who, at the time of furlough or termination, possessed recall or seniority rights.

(b) Subject to the provisions of § 220.24, a covered air carrier shall not fill a vacancy, which would otherwise be available to a designated employee, by promoting or reassigning a seasonal or temporary employee, unless such seasonal or temporary employee is a designated employee.

(c) When considering applications from more than one designated employee for a particular vacancy, a covered air carrier shall be entitled to offer employment to any such designated employee in its absolute discretion.