12.14.01 – (LAA) – Bond Amendment

This is Leslie Mayo, National Communications Coordinator, with the APFA HotLine for Friday, December 14, 2001.

Conferees from both the House and Senate Defense Appropriations Committees are meeting today and most probably throughout the weekend to reconcile differences between the two bills. For those of you who may not be familiar with the Bond amendment, Senator Kit Bond from Missouri successfully attached an amendment to the Defense Appropriations Bill (H.R. 3338) that would mandate third – party arbitration to determine how the TWA flight attendants will be integrated into our seniority list. The Bond amendment is just one amendment in a bill that contains over 200 pages. Many high profile and very costly items are on the agenda for the conferees to reconcile before they will be able to address the amendments that were added on the Senate floor last Friday evening, including the Bond amendment.

A list of the conferees is on the APFA website at www.www.apfa.org. Please contact your State Senators if you reside or have an address in Hawaii, West Virginia, Alaska, South Dakota, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, North Dakota, California, South Carolina, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Kentucky, Vermont, New Mexico, Illinois, Alabama or Iowa. Please contact your Congressperson if you reside in Florida, District 10; California, Districts 8, 40 or 51; Pennsylvania, District 12; Minnesota, District 5; Ohio, District 7; Washington, Districts 5 and 6; Indiana, District 1; New Jersey, District 11; and Kansas District 4. It is important that they hear from their constituents regarding your opposition to the Bond amendment. The Defense Bill should address matters of vital national interest and security; not seniority integration for a transaction between private parties.

American announced in Jetwire earlier this week, that Don Carty has contacted Members of Congress on the Defense Appropriations Conference Committee urging them to remove the Bond Amendment, as well. The Company reported their belief that this amendment would contradict previous agreements made by TWA’s unions with regards to seniority integration. American is working with APFA and APA to help ensure the Bond amendment is removed from the bill before the final version is sent to the House and Senate for a vote.

As we earlier reported, AA has mailed prefunding information to all Flight Attendants homes’. Prefunding will cost $12.96 per month and may increase by no more than $1.00 per month, annually. The earliest rate increase may occur in 2003, at which time the monthly rate for that year could not exceed $13.96. Keep in mind that if you decide not to prefund, you and your spouse must sign a waiver along with your flight service manager stating so. If you change your mind at a later date and decide to prefund, you will be charged a $250 enrollment fee and you will be required to pay the higher ‘Table 2, age-based rate’, which is substantially higher in cost. If you were on payroll as of September 12, 2001 and are not yet 30 years of age with one full year of service on January 1, 2002, you will need to take no action at this time. Once you turn 30 years of age, you will be eligible to begin prefunding at the lower ‘Table 1’ rate. Remember, if you do not prefund, you will not be eligible for Supplemental Medical Insurance once you retire.

The JFK base is selling raffle tickets to raise money for the families of the victims from flight 587. Raffle tickets are $10 a piece. The total number of tickets available is 10,000 and nearly all of them have been sold. The drawing will be held on February 11, 2002 in New York at a fundraiser for the families of the victims from September 11, 2001. First prize is $2,500, second prize is $1,000 and third prize is $500. If you would like to buy a ticket, please call Lori Heidenry at 917.553.7774 or e-mail her at [email protected].

The DFW Base Representatives and Furlough Reps will host a meeting for all Furloughed Flight Attendants at DFW on Wednesday, December 19, 2001, at 1000 at the DFW Office. This is located in the Millennium Center at 222 Los Colinas Blvd., Irving, Texas. If you plan to attend, please RSVP for this meeting to the DFW Office at 972.444.2500 no later than today, December 14, 2001. The Texas Workforce Commission, the Department of Labor, and APFA representatives will be presenting information at this meeting. Please bring your APFA Furlough packet and any correspondence you have received from American regarding your furlough.

The Chicago base has announced a job fair for furloughees in January 2002. Please stay tuned to this HotLine. We will give you the details as soon as they are received.

Thank you for calling the APFA HotLine. This HotLine will be updated next week, or as events warrant.

This is Leslie Mayo, APFA National Communications Coordinator, with an updated HotLine for Thursday, December 13, 2001.

The time is 6:00 p.m. CST.

The Defense Appropriations Conference Committee met today and has begun discussions relating to the reconciliation of both the House and Senate versions of H.R. 3338. A decision as to whether the so-called Bond Amendment remains attached to this legislation could be made as soon as Friday. APFA Representatives and APFA members system wide have made quite an impact on the members of the Defense Appropriations Committee with meetings on the Hill as well as phone calls, e-mails and faxes expressing opposition to the Bond Amendment. We would like to thank all of you for your efforts and encourage you to continue calling not only the members of the Conference Committee listed on the APFA website, but also your own Representative and Senators.

Please remember to be professional at all times while addressing the Conference Committee members. If the office staff does not want to speak with you, a fax or e-mail will do.

We will keep you updated as additional information is received. Please stay on the line for the regular HotLine.

This is Leslie Mayo, National Communications Coordinator, with the APFA HotLine for Tuesday, December 11, 2001.

As previously reported, Missouri Senator Kit Bond succeeded in attaching an amendment to the Defense Appropriations Bill late Friday night that would mandate third-party arbitration to decide the seniority integration issues stemming from American’s acquisition of TWA. Due to the fact that the Senate and House versions of this Bill differ, a Conference Committee will reconcile the two Bills. It is unclear when this Committee will meet, however, it could be as early as tomorrow.

Both APFA and APA have Representatives in Washington, D.C., who are meeting with several members of the Defense Appropriations Committee and their staff to convey our strong opposition to this Amendment. We have also made calls to a number of other Conferees to set up meetings to discuss this very important issue.

The situation on the Hill remains fluid. APFA urges all members to fax, phone and e-mail each Conferee with the exception of Dick Armey and Kay Bailey-Hutchison who have made known their full support of APFA. Let the Conferees know that you do not support the Bond Amendment. The Defense Bill should address matters of vital national interest and security; not seniority integration for a transaction between private parties.

Please go to the APFA website at www.www.apfa.org and click on the link at the top of the homepage that reads Membership Action Alert. There, you will find a list of all of the Conferees as well as sample letters and talking points to which you can refer while addressing members of Congress.

Don Carty has also expressed American’s opposition to this amendment. The following paragraph appeared in JetNews today:

(QUOTE): “AMERICAN WANTS AMENDMENT REMOVED FROM DEFENSE BILL Don Carty has contacted members of Congress working to resolve differences between the U.S. House and Senate on the Supplemental Defense Appropriations Bill. He has urged them to remove a last-minute amendment dealing with the integration of unions between American Airlines and TWA. The company believes the amendment would both overrule existing federal law and contradict previous agreements made by TWA unions with regard to seniority integration. The company is working closely with AA’s unions to urge the elimination of this provision as the bill is finalized.” (END QUOTE)

The funeral for Captain Chic Burlingame, who lost his life on September 11 on flight 77, will take place on Wednesday, December 12, 2001, at the Ft. Meyer Memorial Chapel in Alexandria, Virginia. This will be followed by internment with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. For security reasons, those wishing to attend should arrive by 12:00 noon. Following the service the family has extended an invitation to a reception at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center located at 5000 Seminary Road in Alexandria.

Thank you for calling the APFA HotLine. This HotLine will be updated on Friday.