4.02.04 – (LAA) – Transition of National Officers

Hello. This is Friday, April 2nd, 2004, and this is APFA Secretary, Greg Hildreth, with a special hotline to my fellow APFA members.

I, along with fellow National Officers Brett Durkin and Cathy Lukensmeyer would like to join incumbent APFA President Ward in thanking our outgoing national officers, Jeff Bott, Linda Lanning, and Juan Johnson for their service to the membership over the past four years.

We have serious challenges ahead, and the first of which is to focus on the strength and unity of your union – the APFA – beginning from within. The incoming national officers have communicated our willingness and desire to work as a team. All four officers met at APFA Headquarters today to discuss plans to attain the internal fortitude our union requires.

Our pledge to you is that we will not allow anything to hinder our united goal to improve the work lives of our work force. Under this new term of union leadership, you, the membership should expect nothing less from your national officers.

For the next four years we will focus our energy on retaining lost ground. This will be no simple feat and Flight Attendants will need to be more cohesive and unified than ever before. Please join you union efforts on the hill this month. Continue listening to this hotline for more details on how you can become more involved.

We’ve succeeded before. Together we can do it again.

Now please stay on the line for the rest of the APFA Hotline message.

Hello. This is Liz Geiss, DFW InfoRep Captain, with the APFA Hotline for Friday, April 2, 2004.

APFA President, John Ward, Vice President, Brett Durkin, Secretary, Greg Hildreth, and Treasurer, Cathy Lukensmeyer, began their four-year term of office on Thursday, April 1, 2004. We wish them all the best during their tenure.

In an effort to facilitate movement among the bases and in light of the lack of domestic transfers, the APFA and American have agreed to an enhancement to the existing contract language in Article 12 on Domestic Mutual Transfers. A preliminary list of Flight Attendants interested in domestic mutual transfers was posted on Thursday, April 1st. All domestic Flight Attendants interested in a mutual transfer should thoroughly review this letter, which is posted on the opening page of the APFA web site at www.www.apfa.org . Additional information can be found on the Flight Service web site.

Come join your fellow Flight Attendants as we lobby together on Capitol Hill! The first of two APFA Washington Lobby Events is just three weeks away. On April 21st, APFA members from around the system will fly into D.C. to meet with members of Congress and their staff to discuss the issues of reduced layover rest and Flight Attendant fatigue.

If you are off on the 21st or maybe have a layover in DCA, BWI, or IAD and would like to participate, please contact APFA IMA Vice Chair Rick Musica via e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at 817-540-0108 or 1-800-395-2732, extension 8462. Rick will need your name, base, employee number, phone number, and nine-digit Zip Code in order to identify your Congressional District.

As we have said, it is essential that the APFA have as much documentation as possible in order to effectively address reduced layover rest and Flight Attendant fatigue. Please take a moment to complete the fatigue survey and Reduced Layover Rest Survey on the opening page of the web site. The fatigue survey is being conducted by the University of Denver in conjunction with the APFA. We are aware that there have been some problems with the survey site. This is something the University is addressing. If you have had problems completing the fatigue survey, please keep trying. APFA needs your input.

Keep those TSA letters coming! It is very important that all members complete these letters and return them to the APFA Communications Department. APFA, along with other unions representing Flight Attendants, will be presenting these letters from Flight Attendants at many different airlines to the TSA during our second lobby event on May 12th. It is essential that our membership participate in this campaign in order for our concerns over Flight Attendant safety and security training to be heard. There are nearly 25,000 APFA members out there, and the TSA needs to hear from each and every one of us on this very important issue. Complete the TSA letter and send it in today if you have not already. Urge your flying partners to do the same.

The APFA Political Action Committee or PAC is growing daily. Members are realizing how important a strong voice is in Washington, D.C. One way to strengthen our voice is through a well-funded PAC. To reiterate, the APFA PAC is a fund made up of voluntary donations from APFA members used to contribute to the political campaigns of candidates that support Flight Attendant issues. These are funds separate and apart from dues money. To join the APFA PAC, simply fill out the PAC Registration card recently sent to all Flight Attendants in the APFA mailer. Members can also make a one-time donation. More information on the APFA PAC can be found on the Government Affairs page of the APFA Web site.

From the Hotel Department: We are aware of the decision by the Company to place Flight Attendants with long London layovers at the airport location, while pilots with identical layover times are being accommodated at the long layover location. This is unacceptable and in addition, is contrary to Article 21.A. of the contract. Your APFA Representatives have scheduled a meeting with the Company to discuss this issue. Please continue to call the hotline for future updates.

In Washington this week, the White House seemed to signal a change in position on the issue of Extended Unemployment Insurance Benefits for laid off workers. Reportedly, Treasury Secretary Snow said that Bush would sign an extension if it was presented to him. It is critical that APFA members who are on furlough and who have exhausted the UI Benefits contact their members of Congress if they have not already. Urge them to pass legislation that would extend UI Benefits for laid off workers. They must hear from those affected. Members can use Capwiz on the Government Affairs page of the web site to contact their Senators and Representative. Additional contact information is provided on the site.

The Quarterly APFA Executive Committee Meeting will be held at the Radisson Hotel DFW South on Tuesday, April 13th. A special meeting of the Board of Directors will be held at the same location April 14-16. All members in good standing are welcome to attend all open portions of these meetings. Among the issues to be discussed by the Board are proposed changes to the APFA Constitution including a decrease in dues.

The APFA Communications Department has made some aesthetic and navigational changes to the APFA Web site this week. If you have never visited the web site, we encourage you to do so. For first time visitors, all you need to do to access the “Members Only” sections of the site is to provide your employee number and your initial password, which is the last four digits of your Social Security Number. If you have any problems signing on, simply click on the “Contact Us” icon at top of the opening page and click “Web site Log-In Problems.” You must be a member in good standing to access the “Members Only” section of the web site.

The APFA Offices will be closed on Friday April 9th in observance of Good Friday. An APFA Officer on Duty will be available to assist Flight Attendants with emergencies. All calls of a non-emergency nature will be directed to the appropriate department or representative for response during regular business hours.

That is it for this edition of the APFA Hotline. For the latest information, industry news, past editions of the hotline, and rumor control, please visit the APFA Web site at www.www.apfa.org .

There are 5,760 American Airlines Flight Attendants currently on furlough.

Thanks for calling.