Sick leave analysis and the amount of literature the company is producing may the idea of the industrial psychologist. It distracts and is meant to muddy the water. While we should be targeting restoration, we're talking about sick leave.

20% behind our old pay rates with NO pension, vacation and training pay need to be improved, DC percentage. Too many things to list, but sick leave is pushed to the forefront. Simply put, no concessions and restore the contract PLUS.

Exactly. In negotiations, the company needs to find some leverage. With huge earnings, falling fuel prices, $6 Billion in stock buybacks, they have NO LEVERAGE! So, what do they do? They invent some.

Even though we are the ONLY major airline that has a Use it or Lose it sick leave policy, and there really is No Way to measure our use against any other carrier with a bank system, THAT is what they want us to focus on. Not the fact that we are still being paid 18% LESS than in 2004, or that we still have very little in the way of a retirement plan, compared to the value of our 60% FAE DB plan value.

How many flights have they had to cancel because of sick pilots? None? And they are making how much money?

Well I guess sick leave usage isn't really a problem at all, is it?:rolleyes:

The root of sick leave abuse is supposed to be the abuse of it by a select few. They say they are unable to target the few so the whole must be targeted. That is nonsense the whole must be targeted because they want better productivity metrics.

If the argument is integrity then it's an even poorer argument. The questioning of the integrity of the work force while doing everything to minimize the contractual obligation to pay profit sharing shows THEY have no integrity. The manipulating pay to prevent a historically normal increase shows THEY have no integrity. What happened to Richard Anderson's "we always keep our deals" quote during the investor day presentation?

A double standard from a two faced man makes me four times more certain he has no integrity.

If we went to a bank system (like every other legacy) this problem would disappear -- but unfortunately for the Company they would have to eventually pay the bank out upon retirement or deal with pilots cashing out their last year (like every other airline.) If it's about manning the smart thing to do is switch to a bank system.

But, this is all about pilot costs.

Or just wipe out your bank in the next merger or BK

that is the truth. I had about a year saved up in long term sick, plus a bunch of short term stuff. If we went to a bank system now it would be hard for me to accumulate sick time because I'm older and have some issues now that requires time off now and then.

Yep, had approx 2200 hours which would pay out at 80 hours per month, and we got what...DPMA, oh boy! Oh yeah "Top Off":rolleyes:

With the deal that you lost in BK, would you have had to prove you were sick or could you just call in and say that you were not coming for your last two years?

Did not lose in bankruptcy, North guys lost their sick bank in the merger... 1500hrs poooof! Gone

I heard a few guys who just that, became whale captains at age 55, flew it for three years, went out sick at 58, with bad back and eye problems:

"I can't -see- coming -back- to work!" :D