10.16.01 – (LAA) – Overage Leaves of Absence and Partnership Flying, Daily Nonstop Service Between JFK and Zurich, APFA Integration Proposal, Airline Workers Fairness Act, Airline Security Bill

This is Leslie Mayo, APFA National Communications and today is Friday, October 19.

The time is approximately 10:30 a.m. Central Daylight Time. Please be advised that Crew Resources is still in the process of awarding overage leaves of absence and partnership flying. Information regarding additional furloughs will not be available until after the leaves and partnerships have been awarded. Please call this hotline later today for more information

This is Leslie Mayo, National Communications Coordinator, with the APFA Hotline for Tuesday, October 16.

As previously reported on this Hotline, the Company has informed APFA that, effective November 1, it anticipates a system wide flight attendant surplus of 3,306. The Company is currently in the process of proffering overage leaves and partnership flying in accordance with Article 16 of the contract in an effort to reduce this surplus. The Company informed APFA that as of today, approximately 1900 flight attendants had submitted leave requests and an additional 100 had sent in partnership requests. The goal is to have the number of leave requests at each base match up with the projected surplus for each base. The deadline for submitting overage leave and partnership flying requests is Thursday, October 18, at noon Central Daylight Time. APFA will have a representative on hand to monitor the award process. Results should be available on Friday. Flight Attendants awarded an overage leave will continue to accrue company, pay and bidding seniority for the duration of the leave. In addition, you continue to receive health benefits and travel privileges. The overage leaves will run from November 1, 2001, through April 30, 2002. Partnerships are for three months, November through January. If you are awarded Partnership Flying, bidding will be at the senior Flight Attendant’s seniority.

Should an overage still exist at a particular base after the processing of leaves, partnership flying requests will be awarded. If a surplus still exists, furloughs would occur in reverse system seniority order, and would be effective November 1.

In a related bit of good news, the Company today announced that it will begin daily nonstop service between JFK and Zurich on October 28. This will help to reduce the surplus by approximately 60 flight attendants.

The APFA Merger and Acquisition Committee met with APFA’s General Counsel today at Headquarters to work on APFA’s Integration Proposal. Further internal meetings are scheduled for next week and a meeting with the Company has been scheduled for next Thursday, October 25. We will keep you updated.

In Washington, APFA continues to keep close watch on the so-called “Airline Workers Fairness Act”, which would require third party arbitration to determine how the TWA employees are integrated into our seniority list. Both the Senate and House versions of this bill remain in committee. Please consult the web site at www.www.apfa.org for more information including how to contact your Senators and Representative in opposition to this proposed legislation.

In other legislative news, the House may introduce its version of the Airline Security Bill tomorrow. The Senate unanimously passed a bill last week that would provide for the complete federalization of airline security screening, something that both the APFA and the Company strongly endorse. Unfortunately, House Republicans have balked at federalizing the security screeners and have threatened to stall passage of any security bill that includes such a provision. Please contact your Representative to let him/her know it is no longer acceptable to farm out the important function of security screening to the lowest bidder.

That’s it for tonight. This hotline will be updated Friday, October 19. Thank you for calling.