AA Pilot sick leave

[frontline]

So I was reading about the new proposal the company gave to APA for a revised sick policy. I don't want to ignite a pile of dynamite here, but holy cow! I guess I wasn't paying attention last time this came up, because I didn't know the sick policies were that generous.

Also, I'd love to get paid out in CASH for any sick accrual over 1,000 hours. I don't know how the company can afford that, but I hope they extend that offer to us as well.

 

[SkydrolJunkie]

but I hope they extend that offer to us as well.

 

[eolesen]

IIRC, lost time for pilots is among the lowest of all workgroups once you exclude major events like a hospitalization or a health condition which results in losing their medical cert.

Perhaps this incentive is why it is so low, but it's also a reflection of the work environment (i.e. climate controlled aside from doing walkarounds, and now, very little direct exposure to ill passengers...).

 

[AAStew]

it's also a reflection of the work environment (i.e. climate controlled aside from doing walkarounds, and now, very little direct exposure to ill passengers...).

Eric, are you inferring that other work groups (namely flight attendants) may be out more due to exposure to ill passengers? Wow... what a concept! (this as I am in bed miserable with strep in the middle of summer!) (I wonder where I caught it? )

 

[WingNaPrayer]

So take your strep and go pay a visit to corporate. Cough up a few germs around the offices of CEO, COO, CFO, etc., then be on your merry way.

The way strep works, your point will have been made in about 3 days, and the beauty of it is it's the gift that keeps on giving!! :mf_boff:

 

[imurwingman]

If I understand the company's revised sick pay plan correctly, it certainly appears that it is very fair. As a knee-jerk reaction it may be rejected, but I think in the end AA is really trying to address this issue head on.

 

[eolesen]

Sure, you get coughed on, but the likelyhood of getting sick from work environment is a lot higher for the TWU guys who work outside in the snow, rain, and heat...

 

[Veritas]

Sure, you get coughed on, but the likelyhood of getting sick from work environment is a lot higher for the TWU guys who work outside in the snow, rain, and heat...

Are you an epidemiologist or an infectious disease expert? Just wondering.

 

[AAStew]

Sure, you get coughed on, but the likelyhood of getting sick from work environment is a lot higher for the TWU guys who work outside in the snow, rain, and heat...

You are so wrong! Being out in the cold rain or whatever, does nothing to make you sick as long as you are protected against the elements! It takes a bacteria or a virus to enter your body to cause sickness. Now if you have one and are outside without adequate protection, yes it can acerbate the problem. Being in an enclosed tube with inadequate ventilation is a breeding ground for bacteria and virus's.
It's so funny how you can talk out of both sides of your arse.

 

[AirLUVer]

You are so wrong! Being out in the cold rain or whatever, does nothing to make you sick as long as you are protected against the elements! It takes a bacteria or a virus to enter your body to cause sickness. Now if you have one and are outside without adequate protection, yes it can acerbate the problem. Being in an enclosed tube with inadequate ventilation is a breeding ground for bacteria and virus's.
It's so funny how you can talk out of both sides of your arse.

And what do most FSC's do on their job, touch every single bag that goes on the plane! You only breath in the airborn stuff. Many cold and flu bugs are passed on more by touch than by air. So lets see, cold, rain, extreme temperature changes, and actually touching the bags that any sick/ill passenger has packed OR 5 minutes walking around the airplane, and then sitting in the cockpit with the door shut during flight, and only open during boarding and disembarking .. hmmm who has a greater exposure to illness?

 

[Mach85ER]

And what do most FSC's do on their job, touch every single bag that goes on the plane! You only breath in the airborn stuff. Many cold and flu bugs are passed on more by touch than by air. So lets see, cold, rain, extreme temperature changes, and actually touching the bags that any sick/ill passenger has packed OR 5 minutes walking around the airplane, and then sitting in the cockpit with the door shut during flight, and only open during boarding and disembarking .. hmmm who has a greater exposure to illness?

(Edited by Moderator). If you're not brite enough to wear gloves or bleach your hands after handling anything on a ramp, you deserve to get sick.

Moderator note: Edited for namecalling.

Anything near the ground on any airport on earth is the most disgusting piece of real estate outside of a sewage plant.

My hats off to the FA's who have to deal with airborne crap in back. I've also been amazed at the pinhead cubicle dwellers who browbeat the FA's into working sick. Great plan making a junior FA go to work and infecting a 777 CA who then skips 2 trips for sick.

 

[AAStew]

And what do most FSC's do on their job, touch every single bag that goes on the plane! You only breath in the airborn stuff. Many cold and flu bugs are passed on more by touch than by air. So lets see, cold, rain, extreme temperature changes, and actually touching the bags that any sick/ill passenger has packed OR 5 minutes walking around the airplane, and then sitting in the cockpit with the door shut during flight, and only open during boarding and disembarking .. hmmm who has a greater exposure to illness?

I'm not going to get into a p**sing battle over this, but here are some references:
www.flyana.com/fast.php
http://www.alive.com/405a1a2.php?subject_bread_cramb=86
http://www.eskyguide.com/articles/200311/200311_blahs.html
http://www.bio-medicine.org/q-more/biology...s/tuberculosis/

Just search on Google...I am not arguing we all aren't exposed to some germs, but short of wearing an oxygen mask and rubber gloves the entire flight, I don't have much defense against the recirculated cabin air.

Mach85 is right, we come in sick, we go into the cockpit occasionally , and our little 35k selves infect the 180k self, who proceeds to call in sick. (Unless the company gets it's way with it's current harassment and intimidation of cockpit crewmembers, Let's hope it doesn't work!)

 

[frontline]

I'm not going to get into a p**sing battle over this, but here are some references:
www.flyana.com/fast.php
http://www.alive.com/405a1a2.php?subject_bread_cramb=86
http://www.eskyguide.com/articles/200311/200311_blahs.html
http://www.bio-medicine.org/q-more/biology...s/tuberculosis/

Just search on Google...I am not arguing we all aren't exposed to some germs, but short of wearing an oxygen mask and rubber gloves the entire flight, I don't have much defense against the recirculated cabin air.

Mach85 is right, we come in sick, we go into the cockpit occasionally , and our little 35k selves infect the 180k self, who proceeds to call in sick. (Unless the company gets it's way with it's current harassment and intimidation of cockpit crewmembers, Let's hope it doesn't work!)

Sorry, but I still fail to see how the proposed sick leave policy for cockpit crew is harassment or intimidation. The word in my mind is "reasonable" and getting a doctor's note if you're going to be out more than 30 days sounds reasonable to me. I also don't see a problem with getting paid out for sick time after a certain level instead of banking it. Hell, with inflation going higher and stagnant wages, it's probably a better deal to get that pay and manage it yourself to get a better return.

It's also not helpful that APA shills are trying to paint this as a violation of FAA regs. There's no proposed change to pilots determining their own ability to fly.

 

[AAStew]

Hi...I have nothing against the above policy either. But the company lately has been calling in pilots after even short absences, "to talk about the attendance policy". It doesn't work with the flight attendants, it won't work with the pilots. Yes anything over thirty days, it would seem reasonable to request something. But to call in for a couple of sequences or even one and be harassed about it is foolish.
Truth be told, they can't legally ask you what is wrong with you. If you provide a doctors notice with the date you visited, it is sufiucient for a court of law, (and for the new F/A Christmas sick policy), but if you have one (F/A's here) for any other absence, they will still go thru their sick haranguing just to try to put the fear of the AA god in you.

 

[Mrs. McFly]

Sorry, but I still fail to see how the proposed sick leave policy for cockpit crew is harassment or intimidation. The word in my mind is "reasonable" and getting a doctor's note if you're going to be out more than 30 days sounds reasonable to me. I also don't see a problem with getting paid out for sick time after a certain level instead of banking it. Hell, with inflation going higher and stagnant wages, it's probably a better deal to get that pay and manage it yourself to get a better return.

It's also not helpful that APA shills are trying to paint this as a violation of FAA regs. There's no proposed change to pilots determining their own ability to fly.

You make several good points here. From the way I see it, AA is not making any drastic changes to the system currently in place. They are only establishing 2 sick banks - short and long term. Using 30 days or more of sick time has always been subject to validation, and rightfully so. Giving pilots the option to cash out unused sick time is quite honestly a nice perk.

I can't figure out why this has become an issue. Seems to me that there are other battles that would be better fought than this one.