It appears to me that Jim may be fishing to get the less astute members of this board to admit to doing something illegal, unethical, and not espoused by our bargaining agent. Sick time is EXACTLY that. It is NOT a means to an end to obfuscate the retirement age and get away with "milking" a system of 1 and 1/2 years of work. I use sick time for its negotiated purpose. I am certain that the VAST majority here do the same, regardless of questionable posts previously written.
Amen, Heretic. It looks like that's what he's fishing for, as he loses credibility. His point doesn't make any sense.
Pay, as in dollars/hour not hours. Without looking it up, cashing in sick band pays about $13-14 per/hour as a lump sum. Using it to offset medical, including COBRA, pays about $18/hour for the time on one's sick bank. Of course, using it up prior to retirement pays the rate of whatever a pilot is flying.
Then maybe you should look it up and quote a little chapter and verse. WHERE are you getting these $13-14 and $18/hr numbers? From some medical retiree program? I get $144/hour when I am sick, up to 85hrs/month. If I have 1500 hrs when I turn 63.5 and have some medically disqualifying event, I can remain an active pilot, drawing down sick bank until age 65. You're obviously confusing utilizing sick hour credit for some kind of retirement scheme or "Davey Dollars" you got. were you a PC-3 or S-4 retiree? Is that where you're getting these numbers?
I'm not talking about pilots taking medical retirement, you obviously are. It's about a 63.5 yr old pilot with 1500 hrs sick credit. He doesn't have to retire. If he can't work, he continues to be carried as an active pilot, getting 85 hrs/month, full medical benefits, until age 65. Then you go straight to Medicare, no COBRA.
If that doesn't make sense to you, I'm wasting band-width.
However, using sick bank up is easier said than done if one has a significant amount of sick time. Maybe you need to be more familiar with the contract you work under.
I think we're all aware how Section 14 works, with enough safe-guards in the language to stop gaming the system by either company or pilot.
Retirees have to pay for health insurance, even COBRA, until medicare kicks in. If a pilot retires early, as as Al Agheny said many would starting next summer, they can use the sick bank to pay for that health care. So yes, they can cash in the sick bank and pay for medical coverage out of that, use it up prior to early retirement and pay for medical coverage out of pocket, or use it to pay for health coverage at a higher dollar value than cashing it in. That's a decision each pilot retiring early would have to make depending on their personal situation.
Again, you miss the whole point. "Retirement" is an option. No pilot with 1500 hrs sick bank and unable to work at age 63.5 is going to "retire" rather than remain active, and drawing down 85/month if his sick bank allows. What part of all that are you missing? I heard in contract negotiations the company wants to offer dimes on the dollar to those who work to 65 and don't use up their sick hours, but that has nothing to do with the 63.5 guy with 1500 hours.
If you're active, drawing down sick leave, you DON'T NEED COBRA! What part of that you missing?
It may or may not affect who has to pay for medical coverage prior to medicare, the cost of that medical coverage, and even what it covers. Time will tell. Jim
What are you saying? Time will tell what? Jim, can't you just for once admit you made a mistake, misunderstood the argument and let it go? Or do like hp_fa. When his credibility tanked after the Ninth ruling, he still logs on, but hasn't posted on this topic in almost a month.
