Just confirmed it with another source and he agreed with you.

 

I don't have a W-2 in front of me. I'm on a trip. But, I don't think that the VEBA contributions are even reported on there.

 

Uhhh... For all you know... You may have just confirmed it with me.

 

Busboy is right.

VEBA is actually two parts....one "straight VEBA" the other HCSA (Health Care Savings Allowance) or something to that effect.

HCSA was for the 53+ year olds who got a $25k debit card with which to pay interim healthcare costs between age 60 and 65 (when Medicare kicks in). This was to encourage them to retire without worrying about healthcare.....it was a form of Medigap coverage. The idea was that, every contract, we'd endow the near geezers with this kind of payment and up it for inflation. When you turned 53+ and up, (provided it was renewed and refunded every contract....since the "framework" is there) you'd get your debit card....or that was the idea. Some of our money (Scope Money) and company money was used to fund this.

We got screwed by those who chose not to retire, but still got the $25k debit card. Though they won't be able to tap that money till they retire, working to 65 means that they wouldn't need that money because they will still have health insurance from FedEX. There was no opting in or out of this.

The VEBA you are talking about is "straight VEBA".....HCSA is covered by VEBA laws and that is why it gets confused. "Straight VEBA" was also covered I believe with scope and company money to endow the original trust. After Pay rates were established, supposedly an additional .50 an hour is paid by the company to the trust for the purpose of growing this trust. The purpose is to help defray medical costs after 65 that medicare does not pay for. Think of this as a social security like medicare supplement.

That .50 an hour was never going to you. I don't know why you would want to "opt out" as you will never see the 50 cents an hour anyhow. It amounts to $500.00 a year or so.

While I may have the details a little fuzzy, what absolutely amazes me is the ignorance on these issues. They were covered in all the road shows multiple times and specific information was given. There were message lines, verbage, and the contract. It is your contract and I'm assuming you voted on it. Did you vote yes without knowing what you were voting on? Did you vote no without knowing specifically what you were turning down? Did you read the LOA before voting?

Instead of *****ing about veba and looking for someone here to make you the expert, call the association and get the info. Or opt out....in the end, it doesn't matter either way. You're responsible for yourself and your career and whatever useless information I or anyone else here provides, it's your hide.

Sorry to be so ascerbic, but the same question comes up every 4 months whether we like it or not as if the answer will change somehow.

The only problem I have with either VEBA or HCSA is that I think that the guys that don't retire at 60 should get only a prorated portion as it was intended to help cover costs they would incur for healthcare between age 60 to 65 as retirees. They have no need for that if they are still working, so we essentially allowed them to pick our pockets.

 

We allowed them to pick our pockets alright. And, it was specific in the CBA.

27.H.7.c HRA contributions will not be reduced for a pilot who continues as an active employee past age 60.

 

Parks and CessnaDrvr,

I apologize for coming off the top rope. I reread what I wrote and found it to be less than constructive. Consider it a PM to myself. If you at this point are still trying to grasp what VEBA is all about, then it most probably was not presented in an intelligible format in the first place.

Now, more than any other time, we need to stick together, so please forgive me for running off the reservation.

At this time, rather than go back and edit what I said to come off less offensive, please just accept my apology for being rude enough not to answer a reasonable question in a reasonable way. The information I provided was accurate to the best of my knowledge, but should in no way be considered authoritative. You guys are trying to educate yourselves and I should have commented in a more constructive vein.

Hopefully I can chalk this up to a bad night. I will have to live with whatever damage I did to an already sordid reputation.

Regards,

Jakal

 

[quote=Laughing_Jakal;538872]Busboy is right.



Sorry to be so ascerbic, but the same question comes up every 4 months whether we like it or not as if the answer will change somehow.

The answers may not change but the understanding of what took place last contract may become more clear. The roadshows did a poor job of explaining this and that was probably their intention. If you don't believe that then explain why the R&I committee put out a "Did You Know" message line explaining this section on 11/07. It was never presented that a select group of pilot, over 53 with qualifications, would receive a $25,000 restricted signing bonus (27.H.7.b), in addition to the other contract bonuses every other pilot would receive. The $.50 per hour paid into VEBA was most definately taken from our pay, reference 27.I.3 "the ongoing monthly VEBA contributions of 50 cents per paid credit hour to be funded out of compensation that would otherwise be paid directly to pilots in cash". Another "kick in the teeth", The Post-Medicare Plan/VEBA will be administered by the Administrative Board composed of 3 regular members and 2 alternate members, a quorum is 2 retired members and one active pilot, simple majority rules. In other words, the retired guys make all the decisions. This whole fiasco cost us 43.2 million up front and aproximately $180,000 a month. Sure hope the grid penalty was worth it.

 

[QUOTE=UnskilledFXer;538937]I am not trying to be argumentative, but I went to a number of the road shows and asked questions, and they were very explicit about the $25000 going to those 53+ and were also very explicit about the need to renew it on every contract. They also explained that the 53 age was due to the fact that they expected future contract amendable dates to "drift" two years to the left. From my first-hand experience, their intent was to explain it fully as many a roadshow spent significant time discussing VEBA. Not the NC fault that over half the people in AOC during those times were hanging out by the flight desks and not in the meeting room. To some I guess, the popcorn and coffee machines will always have a stronger allure than an informational meeting from the union.

 

Maybe some us of thought it was BS but trusted the MEC when they said take it or leave it and if you leave it find a new NC and MEC (Too bad we never found out if they were serious). On the whole the contract was presented as a positive, so I voted yes. What can I say I am a sucker for hidden money. I have also bought every product billy mays has ever hawked.

Maybe next time we can have line item Vetos for the membership.

 

Now that's the way to finalize the next contract in record time. Should be good to go in say, 2030. Seriously, this pilot group can't agree on what color the urinals should be in the training building, never mind having a line item veto of a very complex document.

JJ