5.19.00 – (LAA) – Negotiations Update, Reserves Shortage, TRIGGER Training, Northwest Airlines, InfoReps

May 19, 2000

Hello, this is John Ward, President of APFA, with a negotiations update for Friday, May 19, 2000.

The APFA and the Company negotiating committees met again this week in White Plains, NY. 11 non economic articles, which neither party ‘opened’ on were signed off, and the parties are close to reaching agreement on approximately 7 more. This would probably be a good time to mention that a contract is not a ‘done deal’ until the parties reach agreement on an entire contract and until it’s ratified by the membership. Rather than detail which articles were signed off, let me just say which ones were not:

• Article 1, which includes the APFA proposed merger and acquisition protection
• Article 3, compensation
• Article 7, hours of service
• Article 8, minimum pay and credit
• Article 9, scheduling
• Article 10, Reserve
• Article 11, Language
• Article 30, which includes crew rest
• Article 34, Purser
• Article 35, Health Benefits
• Article 36, Retirement

Judging from the Company’s counter-proposal, we still have a ways to go on these articles. Despite Company rhetoric to the contrary, their counter-proposal is much worse than the contract we overwhelmingly rejected last Fall. Please educate your flying partners to call this hotline tape for the latest, accurate negotiations news. We’ll update this hotline next week, sooner if events warrant. Thank you for your continued support, and for those of you based in DC, I’ll see you at the Base Meeting on Monday, May 22nd.

Now please stay on the line for the rest of this weeks APFA Hotline.

Thanks, John. This is Leslie Mayo, National Communications Coordinator with more APFA Hotline News for the week ending May 19, 2000.

From the Scheduling Desk, the recent weather in ORD, DFW, and NYC has caused a severe shortage of reserves. Option II is open at many bases and crew schedule is rescheduling and reassigning crews constantly. They are also calling Flight Attendants who are low on time to fly during their DOs and duty-free periods. Please refer to Article 9.L. and Appendix I.9.L for the order of open time coverage.

From the Contract Department, proffers are based on the company’s need and are announced on the monthly bidsheets. They are awarded in order of seniority and the company may draft in reverse order of seniority if the proffer is not filled. Crew planning advises all award holders via your HI6, and schedules training by the first day of the following month. When training is plotted, it is placed on days that have the LEAST impact on the Flight Attendant’s schedule. Please be aware of required legal rest at the conclusion of training. Also, be mindful of the ‘7-day clock . If you fly a trip and then attend training the 7-day clock begins with your trip. If you train first and THEN fly creating 7-days in a row, you may or may NOT be removed from your next trip. Flying a trip is what triggers the 7-day clock. Remember, your travel day, if applicable, counts one of the 7 days.

TRIGGER training is requested by the Flight Attendant for additional equipment or service. For this year, the remaining trigger training months are August and September. Remember if you desire to trigger you must perform the following steps to hold a successful trigger — when bidding, select option 11 and indicate the desired training. Your seniority must be able to hold the desired training, you cannot be on reserve during the trigger month, and you may trigger only for service and equipment flown at your base. You will be notified via your HI6 and must contact the training support desk to sign up for training on one of the dates listed on the bid sheet. Classes are filled on a first-come first-serve basis, and on days that have the least impact on the Flight Attendant’s schedule.

In Industry News, it appears that the city of Dallas isn’t too happy with American Airline’s expansion at Dallas Love Field. They have ordered American to stop building gates right in the middle of AA’s competition with Legend Airlines and its full-fare business travelers. The appeal of flying out of Love Field as opposed to DFW is its proximity to downtown Dallas.

Northwest Flight Attendants represented by Teamsters voted last week to strike if they could not reach a resolution in this round of negotiations. They have continued contract talks but are now deciding whether to ask for release from mediation once the talks have concluded. Though they made some movement on pay, they have yet to discuss retirement pension and benefits which is their most critical issue. The Union does not hold out much hope. Danny Campbell, the Union’s Secretary/Treasurer said ‘I believe Northwest will do everything it can to drag it out to the last minute,’ he said, adding, ‘I do not care to wager on whether we’ll get a release from NMB.’

On a brighter Union note, current American Eagle Flight Attendants who were employed by Simmons Airlines between August 1, 1994 and April 14, 1995 had their day in court this week. When they were bought by Eagle back in ’95, they were denied their complete annual raise. That is up until an arbitrator awarded them full back pay.

Cathay Pacific is canceling more flights in anticipation of their Pilot’s negotiation deadline Saturday at noon. Cathay Pacific says it will layoff pilots if they cannot come up with an agreement. Pilots are calling in sick claiming the firing threats have left them too stressed to fly. Cathay Pacific is giving the pilots 3 options (1) accept 7% wage cuts in place of stock options during the next two years; (2) qualifying pilots accept an early out retirement package; or (3) reject the airline’s proposal which would lead to the termination of pilot contracts.

American announced that Dell will also be the Internet Service Provider as well as the computer vendor for the Employee Computer Program that begins this summer. Details of the upgrading guidelines were made available today. Payment for the actual upgrade itself must be paid in full at the time of ordering. This is on top of the $12 monthly charge for the basic offer. This can be done in one of four ways: by check, by using Achiever Points, by payroll deduction or via loan by the credit union. Only one form of payment is acceptable and payment is made directly to Dell.

Your Negotiating Team 2000 and the Special Advisory Committee would like to invite you to our system InfoRep and Base meetings for negotiations briefings sponsored by your local Chairs. May 22 is the DCA/DCA-I at the Holiday Inn and begins at 11:00 a.m. May 31st is the SFO/SFO-I meeting and will be at the Holiday Inn North located at 275 South Airport Boulevard in San Francisco. InfoReps are welcome at 10:00 a.m. and all members in good standing at noon. The phone number for the hotel is 650-873-3550 and they offer free parking at the hotel or complimentary transportation from SFO Airport upper level. This meeting will take the place of the regularly scheduled Base Meeting for the month of May. Meetings in June include MIA/IMA on the 15th, and BOS/BOS-I on the 22nd of June. Raleigh Durham will be held on July 13th and SEA on July 20th.

American Airlines has extended the deadline to sign up for Long Term Care Insurance they are currently offering to June 28, 2000. Enrollment Kits are available from MetLife at (888)526-8495 Monday through Saturday. This insurance is being made available to Employees, Eligible Family Members and Retirees and pricing is age-rated.

That’s it for this week. Stay unified and wear your Union pin proudly. Thank you for calling the APFA HotLine.