WHERE OH WHERE HAS THE MONEY ALL GONE?

OH WHERE OH WHERE CAN IT BE?
HAS ANYONE LOOKED IN OTHERS' POCKETS?

For years many workers who have incurred on the job injuries at Delta have wondered about Delta's policies and potentially illegal practices regarding payment of OJI claims. Or should we say inadequate and partial payments! We have written on this subject more than once and no answers from Delta have been forthcoming.

Each state has quasi governmental entities that are tasked to oversee and run Workers' compensation Funds (WCF). The states have rules and laws that are supposed to be adhered to and Delta hires outside contractual firms to govern and make sure that no laws are violated. ESIS is the agency that Delta has hired to administer the various state programs.

The trouble is that each state can be just a little different in how they interpret how much money one gets during injuries and when payment begins. It takes careful scrutiny and planning to understand the complexities of each state's laws. Or, maybe not!

Maybe its just easier to use one simple plan and overlay it to all the states, especially if it saves Delta money. It seems that it doesn't matter to Delta that employees in many States are being robbed blind because of this practice and years of questions and inquiries by confused and unsure employees have gone unanswered until now.

Somebody has finally had enough. Delta does not pay the first week of any illness (Sedgwick) or injury (ESIS). Employees must use their own PPT time (sick allotment) or vacation time if PPT time is used up in order to be paid the first week of an OJI.

Never mind that many states' WCF programs don't function this way. In Utah, for instance, the first 3 days are unpaid unless the injury extends over 14 days. These days DON'T have to be consecutive. After the OJI exceeds the first 14 days, all days are covered... but not by Delta.

Apparently Georgia WCF rules don't force payment the first week so Delta simply ignores other state regulations and laws and takes advantage of Utah and other states' employees keeping their first week of pay while on OJI. Guess what! Somebody is finally looking into this obvious larcency and people are starting to think reimbursement is possible.

Can you imagine how much money this could add up to over all these years of ignoring employees' pleas for accuracy and fairness? Somebody knew about this treachery and somebody decided to keep quiet.

We wonder where all the money went? We wonder whether some states participated in any collusion with Delta in this act of deception and how much potential embezzlement took place within our company. We hope for an accounting soon but we're not patiently waiting for justice and fairness; we are currently taking a look for ourselves and working toward justice!

We wouldn't have this problem if we had the protection of an IAM contract. At Northwest all employees accumulate 8 hours of OJI time a month, 12 months a year with no top out limit. All on the job injuries are paid by Northwest from day one with no hidden delays and the company is tasked with collecting their end of the reimbursement from the outside firms that handle WCF claims for the various states. No hassle and little pain, other than the injury, of course.

This is the way all employees should be treated when injured. If there is any haggling to do, its done by the union and the complany. Employees have few worries other than their rehabilitation!