9.26.01 – (LAA) – FA Furlough Announcements, Phone Watch, 9/11 Memorial Skyword

This is John Ward, President of APFA with an updated hotline for Wednesday, September 26.

APFA met with the company on Monday morning to discuss the recent Flight Attendant furlough announcements. The Union urged the Company to offer leaves of absence and partnership flying before proceeding with any furloughs. We emphasized that this is not only contractually required in our view, but would also provide a means to possibly eliminate or substantially reduce the need for furloughs and thus would be the humanitarian way to proceed under these difficult circumstances.

We are disappointed to report that the Company refused to delay proceeding with the furloughs. Those probationary Flight Attendants with a system seniority number of 22826 and junior will be furloughed effective October 1. These developments and other important matters were reviewed in a teleconference of the APFA Board of Directors on September 25. The Union will continue its efforts to best protect the interests of the American Airlines Flight Attendants, including where necessary, appropriate steps to enforce the rights which are provided by the contract. We will continue to keep you informed of any pertinent information and developments.

On another note, Don Carty announced in his weekly hotline that he would forego any personal compensation for the balance of 2001. He invited Company employees who are not represented by unions to voluntarily accept pay cuts and through the hotlines asked the unions to permit participation in this voluntary program.

The Company has not approached the Union with any specific requests alone these lines. Of course, the compensation of American’s unionized employees, including the Flight Attendants, is exclusively established through the Collective Bargaining Agreements. As I have previously noted, APFA has offered the Company several suggestions for accomplishing substantial reductions, including through offers of leaves and partnership flying, and in a way that causes as little harm as possible to the Flight Attendant work force.

To date, the Company has adamantly resisted those suggestions. We urge the Company, once again, to do the right thing by its employees.

This is Leslie Mayo, National Communications Coordinator, with a quick hotline – today is Wednesday, September 26, 2001.

John Ward will be updating this hotline tonight with any further information we have to provide you at this time regarding the recently announced furloughs. Thank you for your continued support and patience. Please stay on the line for updated details regarding the memorial services following the President’s last announcement.

This is John Ward, President of APFA with an updated HotLine for Sunday, September 23. Sunday, September 23, 2001

As we reported on Friday nights HotLine management has notified APFA that it will furlough all probationary flight attendants, effective October 1. This will affect approximately 1000 flight attendants with occupational seniority dates of April 5, 2001 and later. The system seniority number of the senior most flight attendant affected is 22826.

I am very disappointed that the Company decided to furlough these flight attendants prior to making available leaves of absence. Had they done so it may not have been necessary to put anyone on the street. We believe Article 16 of our contract clearly outlines the procedures the Company must follow prior to furloughing any flight attendants and that includes probationers. The APFA officers will be meeting with management tomorrow to discuss these announced furloughs and the APFA Board of Directors will be briefed by teleconference on Tuesday, September 25.

If you want the latest accurate information about the furlough announcement or if you need any assistance regarding the tragedies of September 11, please call the APFA PhoneWatch at 1-866-ASK-APFA between the hours of 1000 to 1830.

The APFA National Officers were in Washington Friday to attend the memorial service for the flight attendants and pilots who died aboard flight 77, which crashed into the Pentagon. The service was a moving tribute to these six heroes and quite a sight to see hundreds of flight attendants and pilots there in uniform to honor flight attendants Michelle Heidenberger, Ken and Jennifer Lewis, Rene May, and pilots Captain Chic Burlingame, and First Officer David Charelebois.

Please continue to call this hotline; it will be updated as more information becomes available. Now please stay on the line.

This is Leslie Mayo, APFA National Communications Coordinator with an updated hotline.

Today is Wednesday, September 26, 2001. Following this short message, I will read an updated list of all remaining memorial services for our fellow crewmembers who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. If the media approaches you, please refrain from giving any interviews. This is not in the best interest of APFA or American Airlines. Further information regarding this policy is contained in the AA Naavigator.

APFA is specifically requesting that any photographs you may have of any of the crew be sent to the APFA Communications Department, along with any personal stories you might wish to include. Please do not e-mail these photos as we cannot use them for print format. These will be used in a future edition of SKYWORD and will also be forwarded to the families. Please try to send any photos and/or stories by September 28.

APFA asks all Flight Attendants to place a white ribbon behind their Union Pin while at work in remembrance of our fallen crewmembers. A red, white and blue ribbon is appropriate for all other victims of the September 11th tragedy.

As a reminder, PhoneWatch is open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. If you have any questions relating to the events of September 11th or the furlough, please call toll free – 866.ask.apfa.

Please refer to the website at www.www.apfa.org, or your HI6 messages for details about individual memorial funds that have been set up in honor of our lost crewmember

Please stay on the line for details of the remaining scheduled memorial services.