There's a small number of mailers who have expressed an interest in coming out to drive with us. When they go on unemployment, the EDD in California will pay to have those who desire train for a Class A license. Once they pass, the Merc will hire them back at our top scale, but at the bottom of our seniority list.
They won't get a severance package because they're not leaving for good. In talks with the Merc, our Business Agent Dave E suggested that the company take the severance packages off those 4-7 mailers being brought back to the high seniority drivers who may want to leave. The package is 24 weeks of our 2011 pay, before the 9% cut we took in the latest contract. We'll also get to cash out our sick leave (none of the other buyouts have offered that) and since we're technically being laid off, we can collect unemployment.
I can still collect my full PEER pension at the end of the year, and Chuck B's research shows as long as we pay the COBRA, we're still eligible for the RSP health with retirement when our retirement time arrives.
Mike C, who we hired out of the Chronicle mailroom, told me it took about 3 months from layoff to Class A. That means that there's a really good chance that when Marie and I head to Missouri and Kansas at the end of August, I won't go back.
The company and union have agreed to this in principle. I'm 4th in seniority. This could really happen. There's light at the end of the tunnel.
