Military Leave Checklist

If you have Questions or need assistance email: military@local357.org

Leave duration 30 days or less:

  1. Notify the Company's leave of absence coordinator. If you are performing late/short notice military leave, always ensure you contact scheduling as soon as you are aware of your required duty status.
  2. Ensure pre-award credit appears in FLICA when bids open. If post awarding (submitting MIL leave after bids close) ensure UNA is properly coded to MIL leave.
  3. Verify legal rest (8 hours per USERRA) following your military duty and any travel to/from your duty location.

The time line for return to work for this duration of USERRA protected leave is the next shift following your duty. You are permitted 8 hours of rest prior to and following any protected leave. In certain geographical circumstances, this may entitle you to a 'travel day' before/after your leave.

Virtual Credits/Pay Deductions:

Many Pilots have a hard time understanding the virtual credits given to military leave for scheduling and
how pay is affected by military leave.

Virtual Credits are covered under Article 6.F.b.(vii), (viii), in the CBA. The company uses virtual credits for absences known in advance for schedule construction purposes only! It is imperative pilots understand there are two distinct/independent processes here. Virtual credit value is applicable towards schedule construction only. Pay is a completely separate issue.

If you have notified the company and the Compnay's leave of absence coordinator of your MIL leave dates before the close of bids:

  1. You will receive a virtual credit of 5 hours per day. That virtual credit reduces the schedule threshold for line construction in FLICA. If the minimum threshold window for the month in your base/seat is 83 hours, FLICA will need to find 83 - 5 hours (per day) = 78 hours to award you a line, or 83 - X if you have several military days in a month. Please be aware that the credit for schedule construction is 5 hours for the first 4 days then 2.9 hours for remaining day.

Pay Deductions:
Pay deductions for military leave are calculated by three separate formulas depending on the
circumstances.

  1. Notify the Company of a leave before bids close: each day is deducted (for pay) at 2.5 hrs (this is 75hrs / 30 days = 2.5 hrs per day) from guarantee IAW Article 3.K.2
  2. Notifies the Company of a leave after bids close as a lineholder each day is deducted from guarantee at 4 hrs or the value (credit) assigned on each day whichever is greater.
  3. Notifies the Company of a leave after bids close as a reserve pilot each day is deducted from guarantee at 4 hours per day unless the pilot has been notified of a trip on the days of absence, then the deduction is the greater of 4 hrs or the credit value for the days missed.

Please remember there are two distinct processes, one process for schedule creation when you pre-award MIL days. One process for pay deduction when you either pre-award or post-award. You will always lose less money pre-awarding the days. However, pre-awarding will also reduce your minimum days off in accordance with the prorated days off chart. Pre-awarding MIL days is encouraged to provide as much advance notice as possible and ensure compliance/protection under the USERRA statutes.