2.18.00 – (LAA) – Negotiations Update, APFA and Industry News

Hello, this is Robert McIntyre, SEA Vice Chairperson, with a negotiations update for Friday, February 18.

On the negotiations front, the APFA Team 2000 core bargaining team met with the Company on February 15 in Dallas to begin the first talks on substantive issues since the TA rejection in September. APFA negotiators proposed a profit-sharing plan to be included in our Contract.

The membership made it clear to us through surveys, polls, and other forms of communication that maintaining profit sharing is a critical issue to our flight attendants. In fact, results of the APFA web survey at www.www.apfa.org conducted just last week, reinforced your feedback to your Negotiators.

The proposal called for profit sharing to be in the contract rather than outside the contract, as it is currently. This would ensure that the Company could not change the plan without first negotiating with us. The plan calls for a payout on a sliding scale depending on the carrier’s performance. Payments would vary dependant upon American’s financial situation. The monies paid under the plan would be computed into each flight attendant’s pensionable earnings. Payments would be made no later than March 15 for profit sharing based on the prior year’s performance.

Laura Glading, Chairperson for Team 2000 said, ‘We have helped to make American Airlines what it is today. We are on the front line directly contributing to American’s record profits. We deserve to share in our success.’ The Company has yet to respond to the Union’s profit sharing proposal.

The initial mail survey results were just received from our pollsters, The Kitchens Group. The report discussed the methodology of the survey, outlined key issues, and analyzed the results.

For obvious strategic reasons, part of the analysis must remain confidential. But the survey shows that our membership has clearly indicated compensation, retirement, profit sharing, fair work rules, and equitable and professional treatment of our work group by American is vital to any ratification of a Tentative Agreement.

Results of the membership surveys and other inside negotiation news will be discussed at future Info Rep and Base meetings. Info Reps can plan to attend the first of these meetings in New York at the Ramada Plaza Hotel at JFK on March 6 at 12 noon. In attendance will be local base representatives, some members of the APFA 2000 Negotiating Team, as well as some members of the Special Advisory Committee. The meeting will be open to members in good standing at 1PM. That’s the JFK Marriott on March 6 with a meeting for Info Reps at 12 noon and a base meeting at 1PM.

Check out the APFA web site for more negotiations news at www.www.apfa.org. Thank you for calling the APFA hotline and stay on the line for Marcus Gluth with more APFA and industry news…

Hello. This is Marcus Gluth, Miami International based Flight Attendant, with more APFA HotLine news for the week ending Friday, February 18th.

APFA offices will be closed on Monday, February 21st, in honor of the President’s Day holiday. As always, in case of an emergency, an officer-on-duty will be available at the main headquarters number from the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. central standard time. Regular office hours will resume on Tuesday, the 22nd.

Vacation bidding for the fiscal year beginning May 1st is now open. Remember these important dates:

>> the primary vacation bidding, which is currently open, closes March 7th.

>> the secondary vacation bidding opens March 16th and closes March 23rd.

Carefully review the vacation bidding packet that was placed in your Flight Attendant mailbox, and if you have any questions, call the APFA Contract Department at headquarters extension 8171.

Proffers to several International bases are currently posted and will close at 7:30 a.m. central standard time on Monday the 21st. All standing proffer requests were purged from the system on February 2nd, as they are twice each year. If you are interested in one of the proffers but have not renewed your standing proffer request since the purge date, be sure you update your record accordingly.

For those Flight Attendants in the International operation who will have 30 years or more of occupational seniority on May 1st, the Company is offering a one-time chance to drop your Super 80 qualification. Instructions were sent out to all Flight Attendants in an HI6 message and appear in the March 2000 bid sheets. If you missed the message or have any questions regarding how to take advantage of this opportunity, please contact your Flight Service manager or the APFA Contract Department at headquarters extension 8171. The deadline for requests to drop the Super 80 qualification is Friday, March 24th.

The February 2000 issue of Skyword is now out in the mail. Pay close attention to the Hotel News and Reviews section on page 25 for good news about Seattle long layovers. Due to your many reports and the hard work of the APFA and APA Hotel Departments, long layovers will soon be moving to two upscale, downtown Seattle hotels. We hope you enjoy these new locations in one of our most popular layover cities.

Speaking of hotels, reviews will be conducted during February in: Knoxville, London, Dayton, Chicago (short), Providence, Guadalajara, Caracas, and Tulsa. Please direct your comments regarding these or other layover facilities to the APFA Hotel Department at headquarters extension 8306, use the hotel debrief form in operations, at the APFA website’s hotel section..

If you haven’t been receiving Skyword or other Union mailings, it may be that you’ve moved recently and have not provided the APFA with your new address. With all of the recent transfers and proffers, the Membership Department has been receiving several dozen pieces of returned mail every week due to invalid addresses. Remember that changing your address with American does not change your address with the APFA. If you have a new address or phone number to report, please contact the Membership Department at headquarters extension 8153, use the card found in the center section of every Skyword, or go online to the APFA web site. Keeping your information up-to-date will help us keep in touch with you.

The APFA is looking for more Flight Attendants to be InfoReps. InfoReps play a key role in providing accurate and timely information to Flight Attendants on the line. They have a special HotLine and receive advance mailings and the inside scoop on the current activities of our Union. If you are interested in being an InfoRep, contact your Base Chairperson using the headquarters extension or the phone number listed in Skyword.

Enrollment packets for Domestic Partner Benefits, available to eligible employees beginning April 15th, are now available from the Employee Service Center. Call 817-967-1770 or 800-888-1696, or use the e-mail address: [email protected] to request a packet. The packet includes the required affidavit and forms for providing other confidential information. In order for benefits to be effective on the April 15th startup date, the completed forms must be returned by March 23rd. However, employees who are not eligible now may enroll later once all requirements are met.

APFA base meetings are scheduled for SFO / SFO-I on Wednesday, February 23rd, and for JFK / LGA on Monday, March 6th. Check your local base bulletin boards, or the APFA web site, to verify meeting places and times.

The APFA Annual Convention will be held March 13th through the 17th at the Marriott Solana in Westlake, Texas, and tickets are now on sale for the 7th Annual APFA Awards Banquet, to be held on Monday evening the 13th beginning at 6:30 p.m. To reserve your spot, call Greg Sweasy at headquarters extension 8143 with your employee number and the number of tickets desired. Cost is $25.00 per ticket.

That’s it for this week. For those of you on the Internet, be sure to check out the various links attached to this HotLine on our web site at: www.www.apfa.org. Remember that APFA 2000 means Unity for 20,000! Wear your APFA pin proudly as a sign of our independence, unity and strength. Thank-you for calling the APFA HotLine.