This should be an easy question to answer on this board since several airlines have gone bankrupt.

At American we have some pilots who have been challenged by the company on sick leave use, to the extent of withholding a couple grand a month from their checks until it's paid back. One guy has had his pay withheld completely, even after losing his FAA medical.

One of these pilots is confident he'll win his grievance and get his money back, but it's been taking up to two years to get these settled. Anything can happen in two years, like bankrutpcy.

Can any of you from a bankrupt airline comment on getting his money back if we end up in bankruptcy? I think it's just a matter of time for AA. The radical union element and the price of oil will probably push us over the edge eventually.

thanks in advance....

I think there should be some RLA and bankruptcy questions on the ATP, all part of the job.

As an employee, money due you and earned within 6 months of the BK filing is a priority claim up to I've forgot, 8-10 thousand. Beyond that, either over the amount or more than 6 months old becomes an unsecured claim.

Sounds like a question for your union's lawyers. Being in bankruptcy brings on a whole new element of who owes who what and how much and when, and the devil is, as always, in the details.

Besides, that's the kind of advice you pay all those dues for, so get someone on the phone and don't let 'em go 'till you have your answer(s)!