Current difficult economic times have created a great challenge to World Airways and its employee working groups. Revenue flows and contract short falls have driven the company to furlough over 30 of our flight deck family members. With the length of this furlough being unknown the EXCO feels that this pilot group should step forward with financial and moral support for these members and their families.

The EXCO has chosen to do a voluntary support fund. A committee (Mike Farano, Chairman, John Wittmeyer, Co-Chairman, Varrin Swearingen, Web Site Administrator, and Al Steele, EXCO Member) and guidelines were created and an account opened through the bank that supports Teamsters Local 986. The guidelines will be posted shortly to the EBBS files section.

The committee and the EXCO have approved a tentative support amount of $800 per month for each furloughed pilot for a period of 12 months. In order to support this amount and create a healthy fund, the committee has recommended an initial recommended donation:

Captains: First Officers: All other crewmembers:

$150 per month           $100 per month $75 per month

Of course larger donations from your heart will be gladly accepted. Make checks payable to "Teamsters Local 986"

If you would like to donate please mail your donation to the following address:


Please make a note in the memo field as to the month the donation should be applied.

Your donation will be logged for name, date and amount. At no time will this information ever be published. The checks will be deposited into our account with Local 986 who will then disperse the checks to each pilot seeking support.

I know many of you will be immediately concerned about the Teamsters being involved with the fund. The EXCO is utilizing their experts to assist in establishing this in a reportable way so that all appropriate rules and regulations are followed versus having crew members take this responsibility on their own shoulders.

Finally if you read the guidelines you will notice two key points. The EXCO ultimately controls the fund. And in the end if there is any small amount of money remaining, it will be returned to the EXCO fund to be used to support all pilots.

For our furloughed brothers and sisters we will be creating an application form for those that will be requesting support and will additionally be contacting each of you individually. If you know of any furloughed pilot that is not a member of the EBBS, will you please cut and paste this and email it to them directly. The committee is considering many other ways of support outside of financial support and will communicate those to you shortly. 

Respectfully Submitted,

Al Steele
Executive Council First Officer Representative
World Airways Cockpit Crewmembers
IBT Airline Division

World Pilot Support Fund Committee
Chair: Mike Farano CoChair: John Wittmeyer EXCO Member: Al Steele Webmaster: Varrin Swearingen	WorldPilotFund@yahoo.com jrwmd11@gmail.com ADSteele13@aol.com webmaster@worldfurloughfund.com