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Jeff Skiles, the co-pilot in the famous "Miracle on the Hudson" landing in January 2009, has been involved in the budget protests that engulfed Madison in recent weeks.

On Tuesday, he took another big step, choosing to withdraw what he said was hundreds of thousands of dollars of his own money from M&I Bank to protest the actions of bank executives there who backed Gov. Scott Walker.

Skiles said Wednesday that he put the money in other financial institutions, and did not technically close his M&I accounts.

"They have supported Gov. Walker and I wanted to send a message to them," Skiles said.

Skiles, on a leave of absence from his U.S. Airways job, said he had no plans to run for public office. He is the highest-profile person who has acted to boycott certain businesses for their support of Walker's bill that would eliminate most collective bargaining for public-sector unions. The bill is set to become law on March 25.

Earlier this month, the heads of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association; the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin; the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 311; Madison Teachers Inc.; Green Bay Education Association; Dane County Deputy Sheriffs Association; and the Madison Professional Police Officers Association sent letters to M&I Bank and, later, Kwik Trip Inc.

Jim Palmer, executive director of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association, said Friday the companies were targeted for either supporting Walker directly, or its executives supported Walker's campaign, or because the companies are members of Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, a pro-business group that supported the governor, or all three.

The groups want companies to state they do not support Walker's effort to eliminate most collective bargaining for public-sector unions. They set a deadline of March 17 for the companies to respond.

Palmer's group had initially targeted M&I and Kwik Trip, and had raised the possibility of adding more companies.

Cullen Werwie, Walker's spokesman, released a statement on the boycott effort: "While unions have chosen to boycott businesses that create Wisconsin jobs and employ hard-working Wisconsin middle-class citizens, Gov. Walker has chosen to promote the private-sector job creators that are going to help get Wisconsin working again. Gov. Walker will continue to stand up and fight for the middle class taxpayers that are employed at these businesses all across our state"

The boycott effort has grown in recent weeks, especially on Facebook. There are also groups supporting Walker here and here.

Besides Skiles, there is at least one other M&I bank customer who withdrew a large amount of money from an M&I branch in Madison in protest. The Journal Sentinel has been unable to reach the customer, but obtained a photo of the customer's withdrawal slip. The amount is $182,000.

Sara Schmitz, an M&I spokeswoman, said the bank can't comment on specific customers, but added: "Over the past few weeks we have seen a limited number of account withdrawals; however, we also have seen a number of new accounts open."

In a statement released last week, M&I said it did not contribute to any candidate and did not contribute to Walker or Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett in the last gubernatorial election.

The bank also said that its employees have the right to contribute to the candidate of their choice, and that M&I employees contributed to both Wisconsin gubernatorial candidates in the last election.

Skiles said the ongoing debate over Walker's policies had grown into a larger issue than just collective bargaining. "This appears to be a tea party takeover of our state government," Skiles said.

Skiles is a pilot for US Airways and is a member of the US Airways Pilots Association. Skiles is also vice president of a trade group called the Coalition of Airline Pilots Association. That group represents 28,000 pilots.