Please share.

UPDATE: Per the UAL ALPA Q2 2018 contract comparison guide both Hawaiian and JetBlue contribute 'excess DC plan contributions' to their retirement health accounts. The only difference, according to this chart, is that we pay $1 an hour, and they don't.

As someone in your position, who is making so much that they reach their max 401k limit, without contributing $1, I find it difficult to see the issue with placing the excess in a tax free account to be used for medical expenses. Are you saying you would rather pay taxes on this money and NOT have money growing untaxed?

 

Please read my previous posts but the short answer is yes. Rather have money, that’s guaranteed to stay with me, in my hands now then gamble I’ll live long enough to use my already overfunded VEBA account.

 

757Driver, Do you have a term life insurance policy? Because, there is no guarantee that you will die while paying premiums on the policy. I look at the VEBA as another vehicle (sort of like an insurance that I wont use up all retirement funds for health care) in my retirement financial plans. Just a heads up most couples will go through at least $200,000 in health/long term care costs throughout retirement. If I don't then my beneficiaries will receive the rest of my estate.

 

Yes I do but I actually signed up for it voluntarily and haven't paid over a hundred grand to play.

Sorry Ready, this should be a choice, (like it is at other carriers), and I should not be forced into a program that I'm not interested in.

Hunski's fine for me and with almost 10 years to go, it'll go even higher.

 

Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. I agree with 757Driver. I want to have the option to take my excess DC contributions as taxable income now, rather than diverted to an account that I may never fully liquidate. My health care needs will be accounted for by other funds, that have all of the same tax advantages as the RHA, plus some of the added benefits I've referenced in previous posts. Maybe my financial/economic situation will change in the future such that I will want to redirect more into the RHA; but the contract should allow that to be my decision, subject to statutory requirements.

Not to belabor the point, but yes, I also have a term life insurance policy; it's a program I voluntarily signed up for, and one that I can choose to cancel at any future date if I decide that my financial situation no longer requires it.

 

Having never gone through a contract negotiation, classing up in the coming weeks, what can we expect at contract renewal time? Will the push be mostly a pay raise and some minor changes to crew rest/hotels, 401k tweaks, vacation modification, possible profit sharing adjustments?

Knowing nothing- I would guess pay is the big one. $$ Do we want top pay and continued % over DAL/AA if they mod their contracts? Interested in hearing.

Baby wipes ready for the sarcastic folks in the group. Thanks!

 

Sorry, but we do not negotiate online.

 

Hear dat. Which forums should I gain entry to as a new chump?

 

Call a p2p rep or send a PDR to them.

 

I’m not sure, but I don’t think that they have access to the P2P or our PDR program. I think that they have a CJO and are awaiting class. I could be wrong though.