8.20.04 – (LAA) – DOL Expresses Position that Tommie Hutto-Blake Should be Installed as President of APFA, WTS Notifications for APFA VC at JFK, LGA, MIA, and SFO Due Date, FA Fatigue, Safety Audit by Dept of Homeland Security, Retirement Made Easy

Hello everyone, this is Michael Truan, DFW InfoRep Captain with the APFA Hotline for Friday August 20, 2004.

As was previously reported on this Hotline, the Department of Labor recently counted 16 additional ballots for the position of APFA President. This resulted in a change in the outcome of the election. On the basis of this result, the Department of Labor has expressed the position that Tommie Hutto-Blake should be installed as the President of APFA. The Department of Labor will shortly be providing additional information pursuant to its investigation in the near future.

The APFA Board of Directors will be meeting on Wednesday, August 25, 2004, to consider an appropriate response to the Department of Labor’s findings and recommended action, and to consider the further information that is to be forthcoming from the Department of Labor.

This special meeting of the APFA Board of Directors will be held at the Radisson Hotel DFW Airport South in Irving, Texas. The meeting will begin at 10:00a.m. Members in good standing are welcome and encouraged to attend all open portions of the meeting.

The National Ballot Committee would like to remind Flight Attendants at JFK, LGA, MIA, and SFO that Willingness-to-Serve Notifications for position of APFA Vice Chairperson at those bases are due by 1000 Central Time on August 25th, 2004. Questions regarding the Willingness-to-Serves should be directed to the APFA National Ballot Committee at APFA Headquarters, extension 8311.

On November 2, 2004, Americans elect a new president, many new members of Congress, and state and local officials. It is critical that each of us exercise our right to vote. APFA members may use the Capwiz feature of the APFA Web site to review voting records of members of Congress and connect to the web sites of various candidates. If you are not currently registered to vote, you can do so easily online through such sites as www.beavoter.org or through your local Registrar. Many states now offer individuals the ability to register to vote when they obtain a new Driver’s License.

By the very nature of our job as a Flight Attendant, many of us will be flying on November 2nd and unable to make it to the polls. Most states provide voters the ability to cast absentee ballots. Others offer voters the chance to vote early. You should contact your local Registrar’s office to inquire about these two options. Exercise your right to vote on November 2, 2004!

Washington D.C. Update: Have you contacted your Senator on the issue of Flight Attendant Fatigue? Senator Boxer’s letter is asking the FAA to review and recommend changes to the flight attendant duty and layover rest regulations for flight attendants. Senator Boxer’s office will continue coordinating signatures at this time. The Boxer letter is posted under the icon “ACTION ALERT” on the opening page of the APFA web site, which will take you directly to the Capwiz feature. This feature allows you to submit an e-mail to your Senator asking for his/her support and requesting that they sign on to this letter. You may also obtain a list of Senate phone numbers for the Senate offices by going to the Government Affairs page of the APFA web site and clicking on 108th Congress-U.S. Senate.

Senator Boxer will also be introducing a Bill in the Senate on flight attendant security training and making it MANDATORY that TSA develop “detailed guidance” for this very important training. This language makes NO distinction between a basic and advanced training program. We will soon be posting an additional “ACTION ALERT” on the Capwiz feature of the APFA website.

We need our voices to be heard in Washington, so log onto the APFA website and start sending those letters and making those calls.

Taking you around the APFA

From the Safety Department: The APFA Safety Department recently participated in an audit conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General. APFA Safety offered perspective to the Inspector General on the need for real self defense training as it relates to our current working environment. We also stressed the need for viable skill sets that include passenger behavior assessment. Thank you for contacting APFA Safety with your concerns. Your reports gave us the information that we needed to respond to this audit.

From the Health Department: The enrollment period for the APFA Voluntary Optional Insurance has been extended to August 31st. Benefit Counselors will return to DFW Flight Service Operations, from August 9th thru August 20th, to conduct additional Flight Attendant meetings. As a reminder, with the exception of Long Term Disability all benefits are portable when you leave American. In other words, the benefits that you choose now can be taken with you in the event you were to ever leave American. American’s LTD is not portable; likewise, the APFA Optional LTD is not portable. Please refer all questions to the Benefits Call Center at 888- 219-9459 and speak with the Benefit Communications Counselor. The Call Center is there to address your questions. As a reminder, the Health Reps at APFA Headquarters as well as representatives at American are not authorized to provide you information regarding APFA Voluntary Optional Insurance.

From the Contract Department: The “Retirement Made Easy” book has been updated. Log onto the APFA website under the retirement section to view this information.

Although your intentions may be in the right place, please be respectful of other work group duties on our aircraft. The TWU fleet service group is facing more furloughs and if we clean the airplanes when not scheduled, this could increase the number of their members who get laid off.

From the Scheduling Department: If you lose your entire sequence due to misconnect, illegality, or cancellation (MIC) you have an obligation to call crew schedule. Please reference Article 9.P. of the APFA Contract for further information.

From the Hotel Department: The Company has finalized the long layover review for Paris for the week of August 23rd. We will keep you informed as to the results of this hotel review.

In Industry News: American will begin daily nonstop service between Los Angeles and San Jose, Costa Rica, on Dec. 16. The new flight is the latest in a series of additions American has made this year to its international schedule in Los Angeles.

US Air has asked the U.S. Internal Revenue Service to allow it to reschedule pension payments at the airline. If approved, the airline would be able to spread out payments over a five-year period rather than 18 months. The company is required to make $67.5 million in pension payments.

In a filing with the SEC this week, ATA Holdings, Inc said that ATA Airlines may run out of cash in early 2005. The airline is in concession talks with its employees.

American and United have agreed to cut flights into O’Hare for the third time in compliance with requests by the Department of Transportation. American will cancel 17 incoming flights between the hours of 1200 and 2000 while United will cut 20 arrivals during the same time frame. Carriers other than United and American have also agreed to limit flights during peak hours.

That is it for this edition of the APFA Hotline. For more information, please visit the APFA Web site at www.www.apfa.org for more information.

Thanks for calling.