Here is information to assist the (former TWA) AA flight Attendants who were recently furloughed again.
TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE, SO DO IT NOW! DO YOUR HOMEWORK AND READ EVERYTHING. ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW IS RIGHT HERE IN THESE LINKS.
PBGC Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp (USA)
https://egov3.pbgc.gov/mypba/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fmypba%2fprivate%2fcustomer%2fhome.aspx
Links to HCTC Health Care Tax Credit
http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=109960,00.html
IRS Partial Coverage of Cobra
http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=109956,00.html
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
Seniority issue could be expensive for Delta
APSeniority issue could be expensive for Delta
Friday March 20, 5:00 pm ET
Seniority issues could force Delta Air Lines to hire workers it doesn't need
ATLANTA (AP) -- Delta Air Lines may be in the costly position of hiring employees it ideally wouldn't need, spending precious cash the carrier wants to preserve in the uncertain economy.
That's because two key work groups haven't resolved seniority issues resulting from the combination of Delta and Northwest Airlines into the world's biggest airline operator.
Seniority determines schedules, vacations, work rules and the way employees bid for flights. Pilots have a merged seniority list and joint contract, but flight attendants and ground workers, such as baggage handlers and reservation agents, don't.
In April, Delta will begin flying its planes in Northwest markets and vice versa. This cross-fleeting is about using the right size aircraft on a specific route based on the demand in that market, and Delta has said one of the key benefits of its acquisition of Northwest was the flexibility to use each carrier's aircraft on the other's routes.
However, flight attendants from one carrier won't be able to work on the other's aircraft because of outstanding seniority and representation issues.
For example, a new international flight on a pre-merger Delta aircraft may require flight attendants who speak a particular language. If Delta attendants aren't available, the airline may need to hire people with that capability even if pre-merger Northwest flight attendants who spoke the language were available. And Delta wouldn't necessarily switch to a Northwest aircraft on that route because it may be inefficient to do so.
Delta currently can't estimate the cost, and experts won't speculate without wage data from the airline and the number of employees to be hired.
Passengers may not notice much right away, but eventually friction between workers could affect morale and, perhaps, hurt customer service.
Jerry Glass, a former US Airways executive who is now president of human resources and labor-management relations consulting firm F&H Solutions Group, said Delta wants to resolve seniority for business reasons, and customer service is a part of that.
If there is a lengthy battle over seniority at Delta "there may be enhancements they want to make that may take them longer and there may be workarounds they may have to do to get that completed," Glass said.
Delta has publicly urged the two groups to resolve the integration of the seniority lists soon. Unions that represent the flight attendants, baggage handlers and reservation agents who worked for Northwest before the Oct. 29 buyout have resisted.
APSeniority issue could be expensive for Delta
Friday March 20, 5:00 pm ET
Seniority issues could force Delta Air Lines to hire workers it doesn't need
ATLANTA (AP) -- Delta Air Lines may be in the costly position of hiring employees it ideally wouldn't need, spending precious cash the carrier wants to preserve in the uncertain economy.
That's because two key work groups haven't resolved seniority issues resulting from the combination of Delta and Northwest Airlines into the world's biggest airline operator.
Seniority determines schedules, vacations, work rules and the way employees bid for flights. Pilots have a merged seniority list and joint contract, but flight attendants and ground workers, such as baggage handlers and reservation agents, don't.
In April, Delta will begin flying its planes in Northwest markets and vice versa. This cross-fleeting is about using the right size aircraft on a specific route based on the demand in that market, and Delta has said one of the key benefits of its acquisition of Northwest was the flexibility to use each carrier's aircraft on the other's routes.
However, flight attendants from one carrier won't be able to work on the other's aircraft because of outstanding seniority and representation issues.
For example, a new international flight on a pre-merger Delta aircraft may require flight attendants who speak a particular language. If Delta attendants aren't available, the airline may need to hire people with that capability even if pre-merger Northwest flight attendants who spoke the language were available. And Delta wouldn't necessarily switch to a Northwest aircraft on that route because it may be inefficient to do so.
Delta currently can't estimate the cost, and experts won't speculate without wage data from the airline and the number of employees to be hired.
Passengers may not notice much right away, but eventually friction between workers could affect morale and, perhaps, hurt customer service.
Jerry Glass, a former US Airways executive who is now president of human resources and labor-management relations consulting firm F&H Solutions Group, said Delta wants to resolve seniority for business reasons, and customer service is a part of that.
If there is a lengthy battle over seniority at Delta "there may be enhancements they want to make that may take them longer and there may be workarounds they may have to do to get that completed," Glass said.
Delta has publicly urged the two groups to resolve the integration of the seniority lists soon. Unions that represent the flight attendants, baggage handlers and reservation agents who worked for Northwest before the Oct. 29 buyout have resisted.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Vital information for former TWA flight attendants getting furloughed for the second time at American Airlines on April 1, 2009
If you have a Verizon Wireless card and only Verizon...You can mothball (turnoff with no payment due) your Broadband card for three months by calling Verizon. The fee is $15.00 and your wireless card will be mothballed for three months.
BEFORE THE END OF THE THREE MONTHS YOU CAN CALL AGAIN, pay the $15.00 fee again and mothball your card for another three months for a total of six months AND you can convert your wireless account to a family plan...and get out of the contract, by adding an additional phone for $9.99 a month to a qualifying account. If you have a used cell they can activate that or you can but a cheapie from Verizon and activate that for a small fee.
All the info we need to process out is available on the flight service website. As much as we are all disgusted with this nonsense, take care of your stuff NOW and do NOT wait till the end of the month.AA will send you the form for deciding what coverage you want if you choose Cobra.
I am wearing my TWA wings on my uniform till the last trip.
HCTC Latest News, Overview and Background
http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=109960,00.html
PBGC link
https://egov3.pbgc.gov/mypba/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fmypba%2fprivate%2fcustomer%2fhome.aspx
What is the HCTC and who is eligible?
The Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC) is an important benefit that pays 80% of a qualified health plan premium for eligible individuals. The HCTC is a unique tax credit that individuals can receive either monthly as their health plan premium becomes due or yearly as a credit on their federal tax return.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) administers the HCTC. The following individuals are potentially eligible for the tax credit:
1. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) pension recipients who are at least 55 years old
What is the monthly HCTC?
Most tax credits are paid out when you file your federal taxes. However, health plan premiums can be expensive and some people need help to pay them each month as they become due instead of when they file their taxes.
The monthly HCTC allows you to receive the HCTC in the form of a payment to your health plan on a monthly basis as your premium payments become due after you have paid your portions of the health insurance premiums to the HCTC Program.
What is the yearly HCTC?
The yearly HCTC is paid out when you file your federal taxes. You must complete and submit IRS Form 8885, Health Coverage Tax Credit, to claim the yearly HCTC on your federal tax return. The instructions on the form provide guidance on who may claim the HCTC and what documents you must provide with IRS Form 8885.
If you do not have all the required documents, you may not receive the HCTC as a refund or a credit against any taxes you owe. You can get IRS form 8885 on the IRS website or by calling the IRS at 1-800-TAX-FORM
If you have a Verizon Wireless card and only Verizon...You can mothball (turnoff with no payment due) your Broadband card for three months by calling Verizon. The fee is $15.00 and your wireless card will be mothballed for three months.
BEFORE THE END OF THE THREE MONTHS YOU CAN CALL AGAIN, pay the $15.00 fee again and mothball your card for another three months for a total of six months AND you can convert your wireless account to a family plan...and get out of the contract, by adding an additional phone for $9.99 a month to a qualifying account. If you have a used cell they can activate that or you can but a cheapie from Verizon and activate that for a small fee.
All the info we need to process out is available on the flight service website. As much as we are all disgusted with this nonsense, take care of your stuff NOW and do NOT wait till the end of the month.AA will send you the form for deciding what coverage you want if you choose Cobra.
The IRS adminsters the tax credit for the HCTC, not the PBGC!
IF YOU ARE OVER 55 AND COLLECTING FROM THE PBGC, THE IRS administers the tax credit covering 80% OF THE COBRA COST FOR life...NOT THE RECENT OBAMA PLAN WHICH COVERS ONLY 9 MONTHS. DO YOUR HOMEWORK. HERE ARE THE SITES FOR THE PBGC AND THE HCTC FOR THE COBRA 80% COVERAGE OF THE INSURANCE PREMIMUM. (insurance only) WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.I am wearing my TWA wings on my uniform till the last trip.
HCTC Latest News, Overview and Background
http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=109960,00.html
PBGC link
https://egov3.pbgc.gov/mypba/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fmypba%2fprivate%2fcustomer%2fhome.aspx
What is the HCTC and who is eligible?
The Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC) is an important benefit that pays 80% of a qualified health plan premium for eligible individuals. The HCTC is a unique tax credit that individuals can receive either monthly as their health plan premium becomes due or yearly as a credit on their federal tax return.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) administers the HCTC. The following individuals are potentially eligible for the tax credit:
1. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) pension recipients who are at least 55 years old
What is the monthly HCTC?
Most tax credits are paid out when you file your federal taxes. However, health plan premiums can be expensive and some people need help to pay them each month as they become due instead of when they file their taxes.
The monthly HCTC allows you to receive the HCTC in the form of a payment to your health plan on a monthly basis as your premium payments become due after you have paid your portions of the health insurance premiums to the HCTC Program.
What is the yearly HCTC?
The yearly HCTC is paid out when you file your federal taxes. You must complete and submit IRS Form 8885, Health Coverage Tax Credit, to claim the yearly HCTC on your federal tax return. The instructions on the form provide guidance on who may claim the HCTC and what documents you must provide with IRS Form 8885.
If you do not have all the required documents, you may not receive the HCTC as a refund or a credit against any taxes you owe. You can get IRS form 8885 on the IRS website or by calling the IRS at 1-800-TAX-FORM
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
American Airlines furloughs 323 more flight attendants April 1. 87 jobs saved, all involved are former TWA flight attendants
American Airlines Inc. plans to furlough up to 323 flight attendants April 1 as it did not get enough volunteers to take leaves, early departures or other steps to reduce their ranks.
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants informed its members Wednesday afternoon via a hotline message that it learned of the impending layoffs from Lauri Curtis, American's vice president of flight service.
Curtis had advised the union "that, despite the attempts over the last several months to accommodate the flight attendant manning overages caused by schedule reductions and reduced passenger loads, the company has been unable to sufficiently absorb the expected additional flight attendant headcount," the union said.
"It is therefore notifying the 410 most junior of our members that they are subject to furlough effective April 1, 2009," the union said.
American spokeswoman Sue Gordon said the potential furloughs are the result of less attrition than usual, not an effort by American to cut more jobs and capacity.
The airline had hoped to attract enough volunteers in January to avoid layoffs, she said. The airline had offered leaves of absence, travel privileges for people quitting and partnership flying – the sharing of one job by two flight attendants.
However, the airline hasn't been getting the number of requests for short-term leaves, retirements or resignations that it usually gets, and Gordon attributed it to the poor economy.
"The environment is changing rapidly," she said. "People are choosing to stay employed longer than we would have historically seen in terms of retirements and resignations. I think the economy is playing a factor where people are making different choices than they may have under a different economic environment."
The union also said American has agreed to give furloughed flight attendants an extra two years in which they have the right to be recalled by the airline.
American Airlines Inc. plans to furlough up to 323 flight attendants April 1 as it did not get enough volunteers to take leaves, early departures or other steps to reduce their ranks.
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants informed its members Wednesday afternoon via a hotline message that it learned of the impending layoffs from Lauri Curtis, American's vice president of flight service.
Curtis had advised the union "that, despite the attempts over the last several months to accommodate the flight attendant manning overages caused by schedule reductions and reduced passenger loads, the company has been unable to sufficiently absorb the expected additional flight attendant headcount," the union said.
"It is therefore notifying the 410 most junior of our members that they are subject to furlough effective April 1, 2009," the union said.
American spokeswoman Sue Gordon said the potential furloughs are the result of less attrition than usual, not an effort by American to cut more jobs and capacity.
The airline had hoped to attract enough volunteers in January to avoid layoffs, she said. The airline had offered leaves of absence, travel privileges for people quitting and partnership flying – the sharing of one job by two flight attendants.
However, the airline hasn't been getting the number of requests for short-term leaves, retirements or resignations that it usually gets, and Gordon attributed it to the poor economy.
"The environment is changing rapidly," she said. "People are choosing to stay employed longer than we would have historically seen in terms of retirements and resignations. I think the economy is playing a factor where people are making different choices than they may have under a different economic environment."
The union also said American has agreed to give furloughed flight attendants an extra two years in which they have the right to be recalled by the airline.
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