I kind of like the idea of being forced into retirement after 20 years,
just don't think mgt wants me to be drawing on the pension fund for that long.

 

You think they would rather pay for you calling in sick for your one 12 day trip a month every 3 months in between your 60+ days of vacation per year at maximum 12 year pay? :D

 

I was chatting with my case worker at the unemployment office. We made small talk. He's a former military pilot. He mentioned a friend who flies for a major airline. The gist was his friend was glad to still be flying thanks to the change in retirement age. I replied, " Yep, and that's why I'm here today asking for unemployment benefits." I found it a little ironic.

I don't begurdge those who have chosen to continue flying past 60. I wonder if any statistics will be gathred about how many pilots there are who fit this category. Its moot, but if the rule had not changed how many furloughed pilots would be back in the cockpit now?

 

Pretty sure the answer would be ALL OF US!!!!!

 

Some trail lawyers are gonna get RICH off of these guys...

Who are they going to collect from? Their former employer who was prohibited by law from letting them fly past 60? Nope. The government?

This is like a 19 year old (ADULT) filing suit because they can't be a bartender until they are 21. Age discrimination? Yes. Legal? Also yes.

Don't forget the "without due process of law" part of the 14th Ammendment. They folks who were forced to retire had "due process" via the congress and the president (both of whom clearly have the power to regulate every aspect of aviation)

 

The taxpayers will pay for this somehow it always happens. Plane and simple (and yes I intentially spelled it that way..lol)

 

[quote=ClipperJet;645606]
This is like a 19 year old (ADULT) filing suit because they can't be a bartender until they are 21. Age discrimination? Yes. Legal? Also yes.
quote]

I'm not sure about where you live, but I know a lot of places where you can bartend at 18.

But I agree, good luck on trying to sue the gov't for a law that was enacted a long time ago... Before these guys signed on, they knew when they were going to retire, sheesh enjoy the golden years.

 

What airline gives 60+ days of paid vacation?

And, yes, I think they'd rather have some productivity versus no productivity.

Look at how the early (and excessive) retirement pension plans for are destroying CAs budget.
Biggest number I think reading was full retirement pay after 30 yrs of public service and a pension plan in the mid-90s.
Drawing pension pay for longer than you actually worked at the company is a great deal for the worker, sucks huge for the employer

 

I don't intend to rely on my airline for ANY retirement. If some is there, great, but if I don't have anything put away for my self, then I have NO ONE to blame but myself. If these pilots flying past age 60 are so destitute, then they have NO ONE to blame but themselves. If they couldn't save enough money in 25-35 years, then another five surely isn't going to help them, especially in these bad economic times. If CAL does away with its lump sum payment, and those that stick around LOSE it ALL, they will get ZERO sympathy from me and just about everyone else. They KNOW what the score is, yet continue to gamble like they're going to win (they won't). How they could gamble with $750,000 or more is beyond me. But then again, if a smoker gets lung cancer after having smoked for 25 years, they don't get the smypathy band wagon from me either. It's time to start enjoying life after 60, not time to start putting away for retirement. Flame away..........

 

I work for Northwest Airlines. Wait. I work for Delta Air Lines. But when I was at NWA I did see pilots with 60 +vacation days. I'm sure it wasn't accrued in one year, but most likely the pilots were on LTS or had training during their vacation the year before. I don't know off the top of my head what our max accruals are/were.

But, that's not the point. Older pilots have a lot more vacation, sick time, and the savy to game the system, which costs the company as well. I had the director of flight ops on the jumpseat one time and he told us that at that point, over 60% of the over 60 FE's in ANC were on long term sick. So, they had to carry a higher staffing formula up there to get the trips covered.

So, I'm not going to guess what management wants anymore. If you think that's what they want I'm sure an argument can be made that they do. That's how management works. It's always something and we just go along with it.