No. CAL leadership wanted to create some buzz about their going from "worst to first." Paying profit sharing on a non paycheck day made an impression on the employees and it was also a substantial media event in which photos and press releases accompanied the payouts.

"Bethune’s employee-appreciation shtick was on display in New Jersey, as he hopped off a Brinks armored truck on the tarmac at Newark International Airport. Continental employees greeted him with a warm round of applause, and why not? It was profit-sharing day at the airline, which had made money for the third year in a row. Flanked by Brinks guards carrying bulging money bags stuffed with paper, Bethune entered the terminal area, where there were more applauding employees and banners done up to look like checks made out for $105 million—the total profit sharing for 1997. He then walked onto a stage decorated with more money bags and began to give out real checks equal to 7 percent of each employee’s annual pay."

http://www.texasmonthly.com/articles....rxFArQ3I.dpuf

I for one, would like to encourage the MEC so go back to the separate check to be paid by valentine's day. Anybody else???

Sounds good on paper but the last time I looked, the company determines when they pay the payout. ALPA and our contract just determine the dollar amount. I'm pretty sure nobody on the MEC would volunteer to have our PS payout pushed back 2 weeks.

Yup, it is the Company's profits. We just get to share those profits because of the UPA.

Part of the problem is we still have some in management that does accounting the JS way. If it's a penny cheaper, we'll do it that way - Damn the pesky employees. As was pointed out GB turned it into an event and rallied the troops. If Oscar is in fact running the company from his sick bed, he needs to take hold of the employee relations and stop this penny wise pound foolish mentality.

Yes - it is in the UPA. At some point along the way it was negotiated as a way for the company to pay employees only if the company made a profit. We, the employees, paid forward for the profit sharing - it's not a gift - it was earned.

This may be the reason the accounting geniuses lumped it in with a monthly check instead of paying with a separate check.

Exactly. The monthly on time bonuses were also paid by separate check dropped into v-files. Yup, paper is expensive, but someone realized the value of an employee being surprised by something good when they showed up for work. Not something taught in MBA school.

Hmm, I remember JS or GT making a big deal on the fact that it would be paid by a separate check by valentine's day. So, if they thought it was ok then why, all of the sudden the MEC comes out with an email explaining that the payout will be on March 1st earnings because of the confusion by SOME pilots regarding the 100% contribution to the B-Fund. Why didn't the MEC just come out and say that from now on, due to the expense of sending out an extra check THE COMPANY has decided to include the PS on the March 1st check AND that this is the Companies right to decide this??? Just curious

You're making a big deal of ALPA trying to explain why the company is suggesting that pilots have no more than 65% taken out of the monthly check. If you normally take out 30% for PRAP and elect to have 100% taken out to put max in the PRAP from profit sharing then it will also treat monthly pay at 100% instead of 30%.

- profit sharing should be in a separate check with an one time election for PRAP contribution.

- ALPA has nothing to do with the distribution method chosen by the company and the company is treating it like ordinary income for distribution because it's easier and cheaper to do this way. You trying to put this on ALPA is purely BS.

You have not come up with any written proof of what you are saying. Show us where you came up with why the ps will be paid on the March 1st earnings because of the cost of cutting an extra check or that the company sent us an email explaining why they are changing it to the First of March because it is their right to do so. You accuse me of putting this on ALPA and you are saying no way it's the MEC's request. Just show us your proof. As I stated over again in other posts, I'd like mine sooner rather than later and I'm betting there are others that want the same things.