For us low timers, we don't want to get caught with too little sick time if something goes wrong. SLMU allows us to call in sick and then replace the time if we choose too. I think the magic number that will carry you through until disability kicks in is 200 hours. Once I get that there won't be any more need to use sick leave make up.

For now I can call in sick on a 11 hr three day (yes we have them but only junior people fly them so no one cares) and make it up with a 2 day of my choosing in the next 3 months.

That’s the key, you don’t have to pick it up in the same month. You have 3 months after the sick to make it up.

When you end up not fit to fly(stupid pilot tricks, cancer, whatever) you have to remain on the payroll to get to short term disability. At Alaska it takes around 230hrs of SL to make it. If you drop off the payroll before than your benefits go away. Period. SLMU helps restore your SL balance to that magic number. Thats all

Why 230 hrs?

You need 37.5 to stay active per month. A combination of sick and unused vacation in that year may be used. Our leave experts are great at this. Depending on your financial needs or sick balance, a middle ground can be made by using future vacation and sick combined to get you to LTD. It’s a moving target, I’ve heard anywhere between 180-300 hours to get you to LTD. it depends on how long you’ve been here and your financial threashold.

That is the WAG that flight crew admin puts out. Everyone is different.
Supposedly in that neighborhood you will just make LTD

Wait, so if I burn through almost all my sick time using FMLA for a family illness, i'm SOL for STD or LTD if I get diagnosed with my own illness tomorrow?

I'm on the bus and don't think we're eligible for SLMU yet. The MOU we got says that begins at JCTE cutover.

Go on the pilot website. go to links/resources/forms. scroll down to injury/illness/medical leaves. in there are a bunch of contacts who can lay it out for you

I also was unaware of this... I'll have to look into it further as well because something doesn't seem right with that. Why would they recommend that we pay for the additional 20% STD at $13/paycheck if we are ineligible for it for 4 years due to not enough sick time to make it to STD status.

I’m confused too. Why can’t we just use STD before LTD kicks in?