One of the things I find a bit devious is the end-around of medical privacy this settlement agreement and implementation of the STS program accomplishes.

Previously, you could send a letter and/or discuss with Harvey Watt medical details and they would simply relay to the company that you were fit or unfit under the FARs for medical qualification. It was my understanding that zero medical details were passed--the whole purpose of the Aeromedical Advisor was this buffering of medical privacy.

This STS ticket system is accessed by Harvey Watt AND fleet management. For the first time, medical note details from your sick note are directly given to management--a horrible agreement for our union to have ever agreed to. I'm glad my doctor won't say anything else than "under my care" in his sick notes per his policy. I guess I'll be seeing trips dropped without make up or pay under this implementation. One of the interesting side effects of this policy I think is that the company will see increased use of sick leave across the pilot group as the "downside" of having to get a note when calling sick over holidays is removed. Now you'll have to get sick notes more frequently and the onus of holiday sick just becomes like any other day, and if your doctor won't violate his interpretation of HIPAA, you get the day off legitimately sick--you just don't get paid. Welcome to a creeping move back towards pilot handbook days again where the company gets its way with very little protection for us. Very disappointed in ALPA that a clear aspect of the contract is now changed with very little effort by the company. Harrison and Ford wins again.

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Dr Kendall fulfilled this Aeromedical Advisor role for the company for many years and I believe he built up a reservoir of trust with the pilots as I had never heard one word from anyone that he violated their medical privacy, he was very quick and complete in his reviews, seemed to be a very straight shooter, and was not complicated to deal with. It was a loss for both the company and the pilots when he retired.

Harvey Watt now fulfills this Aeromedical Advisor role. And they do it for other airlines too. But, while I don't have direct experience to relate, I have heard much less favorable stories about their speed, accuracy, and ease of working with them. I have also heard they require much more detail, paperwork, and information than Dr Kendall ever did. The impression I get from others is that Harvey Watt works for the company while Dr Kendall worked for the pilots and the company. It's kind of like the arbitrators, in that the system now feels like it is tilted against us instead of neutral, as Harvey Watt has a vested, financial interest in being responsive to the company whereas Dr Kendall I really felt would have quit if asked to do something unprofessional or unethical from the company. (I have no data on any of this, just the impressions built up through many conversations about people's experiences over the years.)

It all comes down to this. I will call in sick when I don't meet the I'M SAFE or FAR criteria--just like I always have. I will sometimes have seen the doc and sometimes not. I probably won't provide sick notes, as they won't have the detail the company now insists on, and therefore it will be a wasted effort. But, now this failure to provide a note CAN be an element of chapter 19 proceedings although not the sole basis.

I think all of this will have unintended repercussions for the company from the pilot group as a whole. The company is pushing too far and becoming too legalistic with everything. It's beginning to feel like death from a thousand small cuts. I think not only I but others feel less valued and only a cog in the machine. Why would a cog want to put forth any extra effort to provide the purple promise? Why would a cog ever push fatigue? Why would a cog every do anything extra? The company will get a professional effort from me every time I fly, but the feeling of this being more than a good paycheck and a great job is eroding fast and it makes me sad.