Man, I can think of 5 different ways to measure sick pay usage.

1. Number of sick calls
2. Number of trips dropped for sick
3. Percentage of total credit hours that are paid as sick
4. Days of sick leave taken
5. Reserve utilization

I have a hard time believing any or all of those can be measured comparatively with other airlines. I've never seen American's or United's data published. Has anyone else?

Color me skeptical.

And what's different about our sick-leave language versus UAL's, AA's .... hmmm?

Are other airlines contractually rewarded for unused sick leave?

No reward= sick out for all marginal situations
Reward= some will fly sick

Carl, you get the benefit of the doubt since you clearly just want what is best for all DL pilots, but I think that overall DALPA has been a fairly effective advocate...not to foment north v south discord, but you're attacks seem to imply that FNWA Alpa was a "real" union, while DALPA is a weak, ineffectual company schill.... but it seems to me that DALPA has produced far greater contact results over the years, so maybe, just maybe they have been doing something right.

One trick pony rides again!

Prove it. I'll bet a case of your favorite beer, that you're wrong. Way wrong.

I guess I left out a third option:

Neither management nor Dalpa, but fancies himself as an insider. So he pushes the company's agenda at the line pilot's expense to feel like he's a part of the club.

See also: sailingfun.

just out of curiousity, do you think Delta pilots use more sick leave than their peer set? And if so, what are you basing that opinion on?

No idea, I call in sick when I am sick and don't when I am not.

From my understanding, what I was told at least, is the company says sick calls are up on new hires... flying crappy trips and schedules, young pilots... with young kids who are carriers for everything, pilots over 62... who are over 62, and I guess the rest are fine but susceptible to being pushed down a flight of stairs.




















































Push.

Wasn't SD saying we use 25% more than historical, as opposed to industry average? Industry average is easy to understand: we don't reward flying sick.

As for the presumed spike in historical usage, I would attribute it to a convergence of factors, not least of which is 117. Add the fact that people are using SB/SWF to fly up to new 117 limits, and you end up with a bunch of tired guys, that don't resist well to getting sick.

The "data" we're being provided isn't any more substantiated than Carl's allegations about sailingfun. File it under "self-serving rumor".