11.09.01 – (LAA) – Seattle Base Closure, Aviation Security Bill

This is Leslie Mayo, National Communications Coordinator, with the APFA HotLine.
Today is Friday, November 9, 2001.

The company announced today that they will close the Seattle base effective March 8, 2002. They also announced several flight cancellations effective January 8, 2002 – Seattle-Narita and Dallas-Osaka as well as Miami-Seattle as it feeds Seattle Narita. We will keep you updated on this hotline as we receive more information.

APFA met with the Company today to discuss issues which have arisen regarding Partnership Flying. Trip trading is allowed, however, you cannot Option 1 or 2 as a result of the trade. OEs will now be allowed, and must initially be done on the senior partner’s schedule.

The conferees for the Aviation Security Bill met for a brief session on Wednesday,Thursday, and today and will convene again on Monday. This conference could go slow or fast depending on how much each side is willing to compromise on federalizing the screeners and which department will oversee security issues.The House bill puts the overseeing of security issues in the hands of the Department of Transportation; the Senate bill – the Department of Justice. Please go to the APFA website where you will find the individual conferees from both the House and the Senate as well as their e-mail addresses and phone numbers.

APFA urges the conferees to support:
Federalizing the passenger screening process
Giving the Department of Justice jurisdiction for screening
Screening of all checked baggage
Positive bag match in the interim period before screening of bags can be accomplished
Enhanced security training for crews
Non-lethal protective devices for flight attendants
Impenetrable cockpit doors
Sky marshals on many flights
Limited carry-on baggage
Background checks on all persons allowed onto airport property
Screening of all persons and vehicles (U.S. mail, couriers, dining trucks, etc.) entering airport property.

The APFA Merger and Acquisition Committee met with American Airlines this week. APFA hopes to finalize a seniority integration agreement with the company soon. As far as Senator Bond and Representative Emerson’s proposed legislation asking for third party arbitration between TWA and American, there is nothing to report this week. APFA’s Lobbyist, Joan Wages, is closely monitoring the status of these bills. Please continue to contact your Representatives in Congress and especially those on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committees where the bills currently stand to convey your opposition to the so-called Airline Workers Fairness Act. For more information, please go to www.www.apfa.org.

For any APFA member on Furlough, please remember that your AA Medical Benefits will expire three months after the effective date of your furlough. For example, for those of you who were furloughed on October 1, 2001, your medical benefits will expire December 31, 2001. In order to continue medical coverage through COBRA, you must return the form you received from CompLink within 45 days from the postmark on the envelope. If you did not receive this form, please contact CompLink at 877.902.9207.

Remember, the deadline to apply for Appendix T is Monday, November 12th. You must clear the sick list and have your paperwork submitted by that date. The Company, upon request, may waive your two-week notice. If you do not wish to fly after submission of your application, please notify your Flight Service Manager. If your Flight Service Manager denies your request, please contact your local Base Chair or Vice Chair immediately for assistance.

As we mentioned in a previous HotLine, you must enroll for your 2002 Benefits no later than November 12th if you are based in Dallas, Miami, or Chicago, and November 14th for the remainder of the system. Please make sure you seriously consider electing the Supplemental Insurance, which provides up to $500,000 above the maximum medical benefits, as this will be the only opportunity most of us have to elect this coverage. Just as a reminder, prefunding of retiree medical does not begin until January of 2002 and is not part of the Benefits enrollment.

Also, for those of you on Overage Leaves, the company will be re-mailing your benefits packet to you. Please be sure you return this packet with a postmark no later than 14 days following the date postmarked on the envelope you received.

If you did not receive an Overage Leave because you either desired a leave duration other than the 180 days that was offered by the Company, you were on another type of Leave and the Company would not convert you to Overage Leave status, or you were simply denied, please forward your name, employee number and a brief description of what took place to the Vice President’s Office at [email protected] or drop it off in any APFA lockbox. APFA has filed several Presidential Grievances pertaining to the Company’s misapplication of Article 16 and Appendix F and these will be heard beginning in January 2002.

Thank you for calling the APFA HotLine. This HotLine will be updated on Tuesday, November 13, 2001.