Sick leave "abuse" may have more to do with productivity gains than anything else. Our sick leave policy (D South) came under attack last contract, before the sick leave abuse accusations came to light. This past year, el heffe started the public accusations on the Deltanet.

We are older, we fly longer trips. Each sick leave event has the possibility of touching an 81 hour trip for international pilots, not the traditional 3 day 18 hour trip. Our medical insurance is basically catastrophic health insurance. If I got to the doctor and get a prescription, it's very expensive. And that's presuming I can get in before the cold is gone. I never go to a doctor for a cold, the waiting room is a petri dish.

Do you trust our management to be honest about the accusation? Furthermore, do you trust them not to abuse us with the latest TA sick leave changes? They've shown their true colors many times. This is all about productivity and pilot pushing. I expect my union to hold the line on sick leave.