Any "Latest & Greatest" about Delta?
02-06-2012, 06:01 PM
Works Every Weekend
Joined APC: Dec 2007
Position: 737 ATL
Posts: 3,506
Big tax refund
(1) ROLLOVER OF AIRLINE PAYMENT AMOUNT- If a qualified airline employee receives any airline payment amount and transfers any portion of such amount to a traditional IRA within 180 days of receipt of such amount (or, if later, within 180 days of the date of the enactment of this Act), then such amount (to the extent so transferred) shall be treated as a rollover contribution described in section 402(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. A qualified airline employee making such a transfer may exclude from gross income the amount transferred, in the taxable year in which the airline payment amount was paid to the qualified airline employee by the commercial passenger airline carrier.
Not fashionable to say so tonight maybe, but ALPA just did one thing right.
This law just passed the Congress (finally) and it means big bucks for a whole lot of Delta pilots.
It may be tough to get Obama to sign it though. A bunch of unions (not ALPA) are planning to protest because it also changes the Railway Labor Act election rules.
“An aviation safety and security bill is no place to impose unrelated and controversial labor provisions that will ultimately serve to harm both airline and railroad workers,” union officials said.
The 18 unions include the United Auto Workers; Communications Workers of America; Association of Flight Attendants-CWA; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; American Federation of Government Employees; International Association of Machinists; Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen; Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division; Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen; Service Employees Local 32BJ-National Conference of Firemen and Oilers; Sheet Metal Workers International Association; United Steelworkers; International Brotherhood of Teamsters; American Train Dispatchers Association; Transportation Communications Union-IAM; Amalgamated Transit Union; United Transportation Union; and Unite Here.
Not fashionable to say so tonight maybe, but ALPA just did one thing right.
This law just passed the Congress (finally) and it means big bucks for a whole lot of Delta pilots.
It may be tough to get Obama to sign it though. A bunch of unions (not ALPA) are planning to protest because it also changes the Railway Labor Act election rules.
“An aviation safety and security bill is no place to impose unrelated and controversial labor provisions that will ultimately serve to harm both airline and railroad workers,” union officials said.
The 18 unions include the United Auto Workers; Communications Workers of America; Association of Flight Attendants-CWA; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; American Federation of Government Employees; International Association of Machinists; Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen; Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division; Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen; Service Employees Local 32BJ-National Conference of Firemen and Oilers; Sheet Metal Workers International Association; United Steelworkers; International Brotherhood of Teamsters; American Train Dispatchers Association; Transportation Communications Union-IAM; Amalgamated Transit Union; United Transportation Union; and Unite Here.
02-06-2012, 06:02 PM
Banned
Joined APC: Jul 2006
Position: Space Shuttle PIC
Posts: 2,007
Good lord-from talking to quite a few of my swa buds, our healthcare is lacking. For example, one mentioned that his net out of pocket last year (including monthly premiums, co-pays, prescriptions) was $2,000 for a family of 5 (spouse, 2, 4, and 8). ER visits, multiple DR visits, etc. That's $166/month. All covered in their cba.
The rub is that they make 40% less than DAL pilots.
The rub is that they make 40% less than DAL pilots.
02-06-2012, 06:02 PM
Can't abide NAI
Joined APC: Jun 2007
Position: Douglas Aerospace post production Flight Test & Work Around Engineering bulletin dissembler
Posts: 12,012
Slowplay, or Sailing,
Correct this if I am mistaken, but doesn't Delta self insure our health care and pay UHC for administrative services?
If so, is there any way ALPA can request a summary of plan expenses and payments? I would like to know how much, if anything Delta contributes to our health care costs and if it is a profit center for them.
Thanks
Correct this if I am mistaken, but doesn't Delta self insure our health care and pay UHC for administrative services?
If so, is there any way ALPA can request a summary of plan expenses and payments? I would like to know how much, if anything Delta contributes to our health care costs and if it is a profit center for them.
Thanks
02-06-2012, 06:02 PM
On Reserve
Joined APC: Jan 2012
Position: M88A
Posts: 17
The plan I had here at Delta used to be much better (free). The regional you used to work for (PCL) had a great health plan. Think that will survive their impending BK or out of court restructuring?
My initial post was in response to Johnso where he said the HSA's sucked. I've had a different experience. The point I was trying to make before everyone got stirred up was there is no reason under Delta's existing medical plans to pay $2800 for a single procedure for one child. In the ear tube case, had that individual gone with this year's HSA that's all they'd pay for the entire year for that child...everything else would be free, and the total annual premium is $1644. If your family uses a lot of health care, the HSA is the better way to go among Delta's insurance options. If you don't use health care the HSA is a relatively low premium plan that allows you to save an additional $6000+ dollars tax free.
My initial post was in response to Johnso where he said the HSA's sucked. I've had a different experience. The point I was trying to make before everyone got stirred up was there is no reason under Delta's existing medical plans to pay $2800 for a single procedure for one child. In the ear tube case, had that individual gone with this year's HSA that's all they'd pay for the entire year for that child...everything else would be free, and the total annual premium is $1644. If your family uses a lot of health care, the HSA is the better way to go among Delta's insurance options. If you don't use health care the HSA is a relatively low premium plan that allows you to save an additional $6000+ dollars tax free.
02-06-2012, 06:07 PM
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2008
Posts: 3,850
If his are the words of defeat, yours are the words of nonsense. If you're going to recall reps to effect a specific purpose, it must be over a specific issue, and the people replacing them must have both the desire and the means to effect the change AND perform all the other business besides.
While slow is way out in left field on this one, I assume slow doesn't speak for ALPA, and slow probably isn't a rep. There is no way he can argue we have satisfactory medical. But then again, there is no way you can pretend we have any contractual avenue for simply changing the medical. This will have to be done in Section 6.
There may be reasons people want to recall reps, but there aren't many people listing medical coverage as their first priority in Section 6. Now, slow may be out of his skull on this topic, or other topics, but slow isn't a rep. So taking out reps that are trying to address our priorities, in order, over a low priority, is bizarre. In fact, I can't think of anything more stupid than recalling reps over something we're not even smart to list as a priority, to replace them with people that can't act on it anyway...
While slow is way out in left field on this one, I assume slow doesn't speak for ALPA, and slow probably isn't a rep. There is no way he can argue we have satisfactory medical. But then again, there is no way you can pretend we have any contractual avenue for simply changing the medical. This will have to be done in Section 6.
There may be reasons people want to recall reps, but there aren't many people listing medical coverage as their first priority in Section 6. Now, slow may be out of his skull on this topic, or other topics, but slow isn't a rep. So taking out reps that are trying to address our priorities, in order, over a low priority, is bizarre. In fact, I can't think of anything more stupid than recalling reps over something we're not even smart to list as a priority, to replace them with people that can't act on it anyway...
Committee chairmen are appointed by the MEC Chair (unlike the fNWA method of the MEC electing them, with some exceptions). Nor is the MEC Chair elected by the membership, making the commitee people twice removed from the people actually funding their operation.
The MEC Chair is appointed by the elected LEC Reps
Thus the way to flush the commitee people is to get rid of the MEC Chair, which is done by replacing the LEC reps.
There might be some collateral damage. Bummer. But to think that one guy can't do as good a job as the next, AND be aligned with your particular view as to union service is hubris.
And we're not just talking about medical coverage. If you think that, you haven't been paying attention.
If you get a few dozen smart guys like Clamp, a few expert wordsmiths and couple of guys who REALLY know their way around the ALPA By-Laws and Robert's Rules of Order, you would see a show worth watching.
Nu
02-06-2012, 06:08 PM
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,530
A trash hauler doing a heck of a demo last year at Paris:
Aviation Video: C-130J Demo 'Paris 2011' *In Cockpit* | Patrick's Aviation
Aviation Video: C-130J Demo 'Paris 2011' *In Cockpit* | Patrick's Aviation
02-06-2012, 06:10 PM
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,539
Slowplay, or Sailing,
Correct this if I am mistaken, but doesn't Delta self insure our health care and pay UHC for administrative services?
If so, is there any way ALPA can request a summary of plan expenses and payments? I would like to know how much, if anything Delta contributes to our health care costs and if it is a profit center for them.
Thanks
Correct this if I am mistaken, but doesn't Delta self insure our health care and pay UHC for administrative services?
If so, is there any way ALPA can request a summary of plan expenses and payments? I would like to know how much, if anything Delta contributes to our health care costs and if it is a profit center for them.
Thanks
02-06-2012, 06:15 PM
Da Hudge
Joined APC: Oct 2006
Position: Poodle Whisperer
Posts: 17,473
02-06-2012, 06:17 PM
Can't abide NAI
Joined APC: Jun 2007
Position: Douglas Aerospace post production Flight Test & Work Around Engineering bulletin dissembler
Posts: 12,012
Thanks for answering the above. You answered while I was typing.
Again, this hinges on the question of whether our UHC coverage is actually a self funded plan by Delta (which is covered under ERISA) or an insurance plan which is regulated by State law (in which you can tell them to pound sand).
ERISA has been so manipulated by lobbyists that yes, they have a right of recovery and the Supremes went along with the very anti-consumer legislation.
A more sensible approach to insurance recovery is "if you pay for it, it is yours." If the insurer receives premium and agrees to the risk, then they should pay claims without looking after the fact for a collateral source to offset their obligation.
Can you imagine going to Wendy's and paying for a double cheeseburger. They give you your sandwich, then just as you take a bite some guy in a paper hat runs down your car and demands a meat patty back because he thinks you might have also bought a McDonald's Quarter Pounder earlier in the day. His logic, like the insurers, is that you've already gotten your meat at one place, so they are taking theirs back (despite the fact you paid for both).
Unrelated question ... As an ALPA member, could I make a representational request to see the insuring agreement? Why is this document "top secret" along with everything else about the plan? IMHO it is tremendously arrogant and callous to not provide us open access to this document.
ERISA has been so manipulated by lobbyists that yes, they have a right of recovery and the Supremes went along with the very anti-consumer legislation.
A more sensible approach to insurance recovery is "if you pay for it, it is yours." If the insurer receives premium and agrees to the risk, then they should pay claims without looking after the fact for a collateral source to offset their obligation.
Can you imagine going to Wendy's and paying for a double cheeseburger. They give you your sandwich, then just as you take a bite some guy in a paper hat runs down your car and demands a meat patty back because he thinks you might have also bought a McDonald's Quarter Pounder earlier in the day. His logic, like the insurers, is that you've already gotten your meat at one place, so they are taking theirs back (despite the fact you paid for both).
Unrelated question ... As an ALPA member, could I make a representational request to see the insuring agreement? Why is this document "top secret" along with everything else about the plan? IMHO it is tremendously arrogant and callous to not provide us open access to this document.
02-06-2012, 06:17 PM
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2008
Posts: 3,850
Delta is self insured. UHC is paid to administer the plan. ALPA gets briefed every year (June) on the following year's health care plan rate development (required for the contractual plans (DPMP and Option N)). The numbers in the rate development aren't public, but health care costs Delta a lot of money. It is not a profit center.
I seem to recall that we get a mailing every year with regards to the contractually required health plans. I'd have to dig into my files to find the last one.
It was a lot of coin. A LOT.
One wonders if buying a heath care company would save money, in the same way as buying a refinery would be for fuel.
Nu
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