Midwest Express pilots screw their own.

[Flydaplane]

Pilots voted down by almost a 2 to 1 margin a projected .7 to 1.0% assesment to give a health care stipend ($250) bucks a month for their fuloughed pilots. Thanks a lot guys! (by the way my cobra costs $780.00 a month)
We'll remember this when we're working on the new contract and you start crying about retirement. In the "brotherhood" of the union, you all just showed your true colors. What comes around goes around.

Has any other carrier's pilots voted down a program instituted by their own union to help their own furloughed pilots?

Selfish, selfish, selfish! Enjoy that .7 %

 

[DougCorp-9]

That is absoulutely pathetic.

 

[Magic]

AA Pilots haven't even considered it. They did offer to pay for useless memberships to AEPS though. What a joke. Those of us that are getting hosed now need to remember this so that one day we don't do the same to those that come after us.

 

[StaySeated]

Sorry to hear about that decision. I believe that NWA voted to cover all cobra costs for furloughed members, but I could be wrong.

Personally, I believe that all ALPA member should pay into a "furlough benefit" pot to help pay for things like insurance. Similar to stike fund we did last year. My costs was around 1% when I sent my strike checks, but I think the impact of everyone participating was substantial. Has anyone contacted national about such a program?

Not that it is worth much now, but I think that you will be able to deduct all of your cobra costs from next years taxes.

 

[DougCorp-9]

I was on strike last year at Comair and unfortunatley you can only deduct COBRA or any other medical expense when it exceeds 7.5% of your income.

 

[ms6073]

I was on strike last year at Comair and unfortunatley you can only deduct COBRA or any other medical expense when it exceeds 7.5% of your income.

It occurs to me that paying $700+ per month fee for Cobra is probably a bit more than 7.5% of someones annual income for a pilot who is relatively junior at a regional and many nationals!

 

[magneticmd80]

As a fellow furloughed Mid Ex pilot, I can in detail recall as we were flying our last days before furlough. I distinctly recall every pilot saying, "we won't forget you and we will fight for you and support you in your furlough, stay unified!!" Well, I guess it is easy to say that when you assume the only support you need to give is emotional. We certainly saw the true colors of our cowardess flight department when presented with the reality of supporting the furloughed pilots with a very small financial assistance. Boy did they turn and run in the other direction on their support for us. You want to see a true example of pilot solidarity......don't turn your eyes towards Midwest Express!!!

 

[Humty72]

I believe that NWA voted to cover all cobra costs for furloughed members,

This correct. They are.

 

[pb4ufly]

UAL COBRA

Last month, the UAL MEC passed the resolution. It is now up for vote; if approved, the pay deduction will start 1 Mar 02

1% of Wages = full COBRA for 800+ UAL pilots furloughed

It's expected to pass. I pray.

 

[fly4ever]

Cobra payments

Mesaba pilots also voted to cover cobra payments for our furloughed pilots. The vote was not unanimous as I'm sure it wasn't anywhere else that this issue was put up for a vote. There will always be those who don't consider helping furloughed pilots to be more important than being self-serving. As far as I'm concerned(btw, I'm not furloughed) I consider all of our pilots who have received a seniority number to be an XJ pilot and deserving of help from those of us fortunate enough to have avoided furloughs this time around. This last comment would be directed at those who seem to think that the pilots on the bottom or near the bottom of the list haven't "paid their dues" and are somehow less deserving.

 

[likeitis]

I think the problem was many people had a problem with the way the monies were to be distributed. Another thing they were concerned about was that the thirty three that are now returning will end up being screwed on both ends. They don't get any of the benefits and then when they return have to pay an assesment just when they are trying to catch up on debts of being unemployed.

So it wasn't simply they didn't want to pay the benefits. It was a matter of working out a better way so that all people who deserve it are made whole. Just like any peice of legislation, you need to read a little deeper to see what is really behind it. I think it will come up again after a little while and more thought put into trying to make it more comprehensive.

If it would have been brought up in one of the october meetings and then put to a vote by november, I'm sure it would have passed.

If it hasn't been brought up again yet, I'll bring it up again at the april meeting. The holdup is figuring out how to make it the most fair for all pilots who were furloughed.

 

[cactus]

America West Pilots voted to pay 100% of the furloughed guys COBRA. We may work for the worst of the majors but at least we take care of our own.

 

[StaySeated]

Weak arguement...

The holdup is figuring out how to make it the most fair for all pilots who were furloughed.

Your saying that it was voted down because your were thinking of the 33 recalls? Give me a break. If anyone would be willing to part with 1% I would think it would be the ones who were just dropping hundreds to cover cobra. Some of these guys have been out since November (or was it October?) and you are going to sit on your ass until April??? How thoughful...

The pilots at NWA, UAL, Mesaba, AWA, and many others must be freaking geniuses to figure out the "details" that are holding you up at ME.

 

[likeitis]

Hmm, let me see, all these carriers you listed have been around awhile and have most likely went through the furlough process before. Also their assessment was set up to pay for COBRA. ME's was for all furloughed pilots whether they were using COBRA or not. Not that it's right, but this could have been an issue with some of the voters.

Our Alpa membership is relatively new. The intricacies with the IRS code and numerous other issues are completely new to the MEC. This is no excuse for the rest of the membership voting the measly assessment down and I will, when I get back online, let them know of my appreciation.

 

[Lindy]

Wasn't the vote 64% AGAINST the assessment?

Nice to think that the only pilot group NOT to assist their furloughees is MidEx. Can't wait to go back to MKE......

 

[AWACoff]

What goes around comes around. I wish a pox on all the pathetic self indulgent pricks at MidEx who voted against a measly 1% pay deduction. When was the last time you noticed payroll shorting you $2 on a $200 day? Make sure you enjoy that cup of coffee your selfishness buys you. I was prepared to go on strike 5 days after passing IOE...and you can't even spring for a few dollars while you still have a job.

 

[psyops]

The unfortunate reality of this business is that when you're on the street.... you're invisible.

Those with jobs (especially the senior ones) will sell you out in a second.

 

[TWA Dude]

FYI:

The TWA MEC was working on a resolution to assess our members to pay furloughee's COBRA. The problem is, we're probably only ALPA members for another month or two, and they discovered that if we did pay an assessment ALPA National would likely KEEP the money. So there's no workable way right now for us to help our own in that way. Instead we have a voluntary Furloughed Pilot's Fund that many, but far from all are contributing to it. The APA at American has a voluntary loan fund, which is also a good idea.

On a more disturbing note, I was presesnt for an LEC meeting discussing the resolution for a COBRA assessment. Many TWA guys were furloughed in the past, some multiple times, for over seven years. Never in TWA's past was anything done to help out the furloughees financially. That left some bitter and unwilling to help out those today. It's a shame.

 

[devine9driver]

You know it's kind of funny, the same thing happened here when ALPA was barely voted in, you couldn't find a pilot here who voted no for ALPA representation. Now you can't find a single pilot here who hasn't said "ya I voted yes for the furloughed pilot fund". I guess only 1/3 of us will be able to look the furloughed pilot's in the eye when they are recalled and be proud of it. Apparently TIM'S Dutchness is rubbing off on the most senior of the bunch. Way to support your fellow Midex crewmembers. And for those who want to know, 2% was the most they were asking for, the MEC said it would actually be around 1% to .7% of taxable income taken for the fund.

One Feed up ME pilot