3.28.02 – (LAA) – TSA Mandates Fingerprint-based Criminal History Record Checks for All Employees, APFA/AA Bargaining Agreement Distribution, Recall Notices

This is Leslie Mayo, National Communications Coordinator, with the APFA HotLine for Thursday, March 28, 2002.

The Transportation Security Administration, in accordance with the Civil Aviation Security Rules, has mandated fingerprint-based criminal history record checks for all employees with unescorted-access authority to secure areas of the airport, aircraft and ramp. The ruling states that an individual who has a disqualifying criminal offense ten years prior to the date the individual is fingerprinted, will not be allowed to perform covered functions. APFA has not, to date, been made aware of the procedures the Company intends to utilize in order to gather the fingerprint-based information. For further details, please go to www.www.apfa.org.

The APFA Safety Department has provided an online survey regarding weapons in the cabin and in the cockpit. Please visit our website at www.www.apfa.org and fill out this very brief but important survey.

The company is expected to begin distribution of the APFA/AA Bargaining Agreement in April. This is in accordance with the provisions of Article 24.

Those Flight Attendants traveling to their home base station from EPTs/RDTs should review Article 7.L.3 and Article I.7.L.3 for contractual requirements regarding required rest. Specifically, the contract states “In no case may an on-duty period be broken at the Flight Attendant’s home base station by an off-duty period of less than 11 hours regularly scheduled, twelve hours for reserves.” Be reminded that Crew Schedule will consider the published time of arrival at home base station as the beginning of your legal rest. If your flight is delayed to home base through no fault of your own, you should alert Crew Schedule upon arrival so that they can adjust your legal rest accordingly.

As we reported last week, the company has agreed to extend the availability of the Reserve tape by one hour. Effective April 1, 2002 the tape can be accessed by Reserves beginning at 7:00 p.m. local base time rather than at 8:00 p.m. Reserves will then have until 10:00 p.m. local base time to confirm their assignment.

Ballots for the proposed dues increase have been mailed to all members and are due in the designated P.O. Box no later that 0900 CST on April 18th. APFA members who owe dues must either pay the balance of the amount due or make payment arrangements for dues accrued while on inactive status prior to April 12th in order for their vote to be valid. The APFA Dues Department can be reached by calling APFA Headquarters, extension 8151.

Flight Attendants in dues arrears who are interested in becoming dues current should call the APFA Dues Department at ext. 8151. At the March 18, 2002 Board of Directors meeting, the Board agreed that the names of all Flight Attendants in dues arrears and/or not current on a payment plan will be published in Skyword, Issue 4, as well as on the APFA website and on Base Bulletin Boards.

As we reported last week, American Airlines will be sending recall notices to an additional 40 Flight Attendants. This is due to the fact that a number of Flight Attendants on the April 1st recall list either did not respond to American Airlines’ certified letter or declined the offer of reemployment. APFA has not received any further information on seniority numbers or proposed training dates, however, when the information is received, we will update this HotLine.

APFA Headquarters will be closed on Friday, March 29 in observance of Good Friday. If you have an emergency, please call APFA Headquarters and leave a message for the Officer-On-Duty. That’s it for this week – thank you for calling the APFA HotLine.