8.03.01 – (LAA) – TA Agreement Language in the Mail, TA PhoneWatch

This is Leslie Mayo, APFA National Communications Coordinator, with HotLine news for the week ending August 3, 2001.

Some of you should have already received your Tentative Agreement Language via USPS Priority Mail. If you do not receive this package by Monday, August 13, (that’s one week from this Monday) please contact the membership department via e-mail or voice mail and a new copy will be sent to you. Please do not contact the membership department before the 13th. Membership can be reached at APFA Headquarters, ext. 8153, or e-mail – [email protected].

Ratification Ballots will be mailed the week of the 13th so be on the lookout.

The Negotiating Team will begin their T.A Briefings shortly and the schedule is as follows:

All meetings will begin at 10:00 a.m. local time and end no later than 3:00 p.m. For further information, including addresses, phone numbers, and parking information, please call PhoneWatch at 866-Ask-APFA Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or visit www.apfa.org. Don’t forget to bring your T.A. language with you to the Briefing.

It is very important that all members have their current mailing address on file with the APFA. This will ensure that you receive the complete T.A. language and the contract ratification ballot. If you or someone you know has recently moved, please be sure to update APFA by sending an e-mail to [email protected] or by calling the Membership Department-800-395-2732, Ext. 8153. You can also go to the web site at www.www.apfa.org to enter updated information there.

APFA wants to ensure that all Flight Attendants understand the FAA requirements regarding the new manual. It has come to our attention that Flight Attendants flying a trip and Flight Attendants reporting for EPTs without the required portions of the new Safety Manual are being charged $50 for a replacement manual in order to be in compliance with the FAA. FOR CLARIFICATION: All food portions that have been provided in the manual by the Company may not be removed. This includes IFS and Domestic food service procedures regardless of your base or division. The only portion of the manual that may be removed will be any specific equipment section(s) for which you are not qualified.

If you no longer have the manual with all of the contents required by the FAA, you may be subject to a personal fine of at least $1,000. In order to avoid this, the required sections that you may have discarded must be replaced. Currently, the Company is charging Flight Attendants $50 for a complete replacement manual as Flight Service does not have individual sections available yet. They will be printing and shipping extra IFS sections to bases beginning next week and once that takes place Flight Service will notice all Flight Attendants. If you do buy a new manual, take it to Flight Service and they will give you the appropriate IFS section that you can place in your original manual. Return your newly-purchased manual and the Company will then refund you $40.

This leaves an outstanding amount of $10. This is the amount Flight Service is charging for the replacement food service sections. APFA has communicated our concerns to the Company regarding the lack of clarity from Flight Service pertaining to the required contents of our manuals. APFA will be initiating a Presidential Grievance over the $10 charge and we hope to resolve this as soon as possible. In the meantime, until replacement sections arrive at your base, the option to purchase a new manual prior to duty will alleviate the immediate possibility of a hefty fine. Once replacements arrive at your base, which should be sometime next week, they will cost $10.

If you have or will be impacted by this $10 fee, please contact the APFA Safety Department at 800.395.2732, Ext. 8302 and include your name, employee number and base. We will collect this information for the Presidential Grievance. Also, if you have any further questions, the Safety Department will be able to address them at the same extension.

We’ve also heard your concerns regarding the size of the new manuals. APFA is addressing this issue, as well, with the Company.

Liquor audits seem to be rearing their ugly head lately and APFA wants to give Flight Attendants a heads up. Please be sure you follow all proper liquor and headset deposit procedures as outlined in your manual.

That’s it for this week. Thank you for calling the APFA HotLine and we look forward to seeing you at one of the T.A briefings.