3.25.04

Hello. This is Liz Geiss, DFW Inforep Captain, with the InfoRep Hotline for Thursday, March 25th, 2004.

Reduced Layover Rest continues to be an issue of great concern. The APFA Leadership is committed to aggressively addressing this issue from every angle. All Flight Attendants should have received a letter outlining our efforts to date on the reduced layover rest issue and upcoming events and membership actions we are adding to our existing campaign. Now that bids are out, it’s time to sign up for your trip to Capitol Hill! The Washington D.C. Lobby Event will take place on April 21st, to lobby members of Congress and their staff on the issue of reduced layover rest. Then on May 12th, we will once again go to Washington, in order to join other Flight Attendant unions to lobby on not only reduced layover rest, but also Flight Attendant safety and security training. If you are interested in participating, please contact IMA Vice Chair Rick Musica via e-mail at [email protected] or by voicemail at 1-800-395-2732, extension 8462. As an InfoRep it is important that you spread the word to all of our line Flight Attendants and encourage them to attend both these events.

In preparation for our lobby event on May 12th, a letter to the TSA is included in the package. This letter is being distributed to most Flight Attendants in the United States. APFA members are asked to read the letter, sign it, and send it back to APFA no later than May 7th. The thousands of letters from our membership will be compiled and presented to the TSA on May 12th.

It is also very important that Flight Attendants take a moment to complete the two surveys on the opening page of the APFA web site. In order for the APFA to effectively address the issues of reduced layover rest and fatigue, it is imperative that we obtain as much documentation as possible.

Also included in this mailer, is a PAC membership card and information on the APFA Political Action Committee. Already, I have received quite a bit of feedback on this issue. It seems that many of our Flight Attendants are unfamiliar with the APFA Political Action Committee, and have requested additional information concerning this issue. Listed below are some points that should help our InfoReps when discussing PAC with their fellow crewmembers:

• The APFA Political Action Committee (PAC) was first established in July 1992.
• These are funds that are separate and apart from union dues.
• The PAC is funded through voluntary donations from APFA members.
• Funds from the PAC are used to contribute to the campaigns of Members of Congress and presidential campaigns of those who support Flight Attendant issues no matter the political party.
• AMR donates upwards of $100,000 per year to various campaigns.
• Most every union has established PACs.
• Information on the APFA PAC has been included in the following Skyword Articles: Volume 5, Issue 7, August 2002, pages 14-15, Volume 6, Issue 10, Nov/Dec 2003, page 24, and Volume7, Issue 1, Jan/Feb 2004, page 22. If you would like to view these articles, you may do so by going to www.www.apfa.org and clicking on SKYWORD, then "Skyword Archives" on the opening page of the APFA web site. Additional information on the APFA PAC can be found on the Government Affairs page of the web site.

As we get closer to the April 17th, 2004 vesting date for the first third of stock options, eligible Flight Attendants understandably have questions regarding the Broad Based Stock Option Plan. There are three steps you must complete on JETNET prior to exercising your option: 1. Establish a Personnel Access Code, 2. Complete the W-9 or W-8 BEN Form, and 3. Authorize Electronic funds Transfer. For the very latest information on the stock options a new link was added to the opening page of the APFA Web site, which gives detailed information on the plan. APFA encourages all Flight Attendants to visit this site and make an informed decision.

APFA continues to get calls and e-mails from Flight Attendants who have heard rumors or who have been given misinformation on issues that APFA has previously addressed on the hotline, web site, and in Skyword. InfoReps need to play an active roll in encouraging other APFA members to call the hotline and visit the web site. Also, explain the simplicity of having the hotline text automatically e-mailed each time it is recorded by subscribing on the "Hotline" page of the web site. Please carry your copy of the latest edition of the APFA Hotline and Rumor Control from the web site with you on your trips. Share this information with your flying partners, and let them know how to access the information themselves. Again, the main hotline number is 1-800-399-2732 and the web site address is www.www.apfa.org.

That’s it for this edition of the InfoRep Hotline. Please call the APFA Hotline at 1-800-399-2732, and visit the web site at www.www.apfa.org for more information.