I write this as someone who has worked for six different airlines and have gone through furloughs, bankruptcies and mergers. I’ve started over, on the bottom of a seniority list, at least three times. Right now there are thousands of airline employees that are being paid to stay home but are still collecting a paycheck. For captains at major airlines that can be as much as $15,000 or more each month, for not flying. Some are taking early retirement and will be paid 50% of their base pay, plus full benefits, for up to three years. Things are different for lesser paid employees but as a tax payer I don’t think I should be paying for employees that stay home and never go to work.
