01.28.05

Good evening, this is Greg Hildreth, APFA Secretary with the APFA HotLine for January 28, 2005.

I have four important items to address this week: First: the APFA Membership Opinion Survey, second: Base Elections; third – the 12th Annual APFA Convention; and finally the Company’s implementation of “Buy on Board.”

APFA is currently conducting a membership opinion survey via the University of North Texas. Please go to www.www.apfa.org and click on the survey link . This survey is the first round of several surveys APFA will be conducting this year.

Currently at many of our bases, there are candidates seeking your support for base office. These roles are very important for all of our futures. Our APFA Base chairs are the governing body of our Union. They will be taking office on April 1, 2005 for a two-year term of officer. These base chairs are the decision makers and policy makers of our union. I urge you to get involved and cast your vote. Ballots will be mailed on Tueseday, February 1st and are due in the designated PO Box on March 2nd. If you do not receive a ballot, please contact the National Ballot Committee at APFA HDQ, Extension 8311

Preparations are underway for APFA’s 12th Annual Convention. All members in good standing are encouraged to attend. In addition to observing your Base Chairs at work, this year we are pleased to announce that we will be offering Scheduling and Contract training, and a retirement seminar. Please mark your calendars for March 14th in Chicago. More information on how to enroll in any of these activities will follow.

And now, on to Buy On Board. The company will implement its Buy on Board product on February 1, 2005. APFA has been in discussions with the company regarding revenue sharing for Buy on Board sales. As a result, the company has agreed to share 10 percent of the revenue generated from Buy on Board sales. Specific details of this program are still being worked out. APFA made it clear that although the company will pay a commission, the commission in no way impacts APFA’s position with regard to workload and staffing. Results from APFA’s survey to members who worked Buy on Board test flights are being finalized by our independent experts. This information will be used to ensure that Article 9.B.2. of the Agreement is enforced. This article gives APFA the right to file a Presidential Grievance if the company abuses its discretion when it comes to changing staffing or service levels by assigning an unreasonable workload to Flight Attendants.

Now please stay on the line for the rest of the APFA HotLine. Leslie…

Thanks Greg. This is Leslie Mayo with the rest of the APFA Hotline for Friday, January 28, 2005.

We have 4,541 members on furlough and 20 flight attendants on full-time military leave serving our country. Please keep all of them in your thoughts.

Those of you working duty-free flights please remember to complete the revenue sharing form and include it with your deposit. AA’s duty-free vendor DFASS reported that a large number of forms were not received during November and December. AA is aware that in several cases the forms were not boarded for us to use. American has assured us they continue to send reminders to our caterers to ensure proper boarding of the forms. Revenue sharing forms will be included with the Purser paperwork and can also be downloaded from the flight service website. As a last resort you may include the relevant flight and sales information on a piece of paper. Receipt of this form is crucial in order for us to have the ability to trade duty free selling responsibilities on board. During the first two weeks of February the number of forms received by DFASS will be monitored to determine whether the flexibility of trading duty free responsibilities can be continued. Please let APFA know if revenue sharing forms are not available by dropping a note in any APFA lockbox, or contacting the Contract Department at APFA HDQ, ext. 8271.

The 2005 EPT program is now open for enrollment. The APFA Safety Department attended the program before it was offered to Flight Attendants. Many of the suggestions APFA made prior to the roll out were incorporated into the program. To clarify a rumor circulating about this year’s EPT’s, there is a computer-based test (CBT) taken the first day; however, it is NOT a pass-fail test. Domestic Flight Attendants have 30 questions to answer and International F/A’s have 36 questions to respond to. All questions are taken directly from the EPT Home Study. If you score less than 90%, those questions you missed will be shuffled and you will be asked to respond again until each question is answered correctly.

APFA President Tommie Hutto-Blake’s base visits continue next week: Tommie will be in Chicago on February 1st from 2:00 to 6:00 pm and February 2nd from 7:00 am to 11:00 am. , she will be in MIA on February 14th and 15th , and Raleigh Ops on March 3rd and finish with Washington, D.C., on March 7th and 8th. In all cases, Tommie will be in Ops during the afternoon of the 1st day and the morning of the 2nd day with the exception of Raleigh. Raleigh will be a one-day base visit between 3:00 and 7:00 p.m.

APFA’s National Board of Directors Annual Convention will be held in Chicago beginning Monday, March 14th, 2005. APFA will offer members in good standing the opportunity to attend scheduling and retirement workshops on March 14, 2005, between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. The training will be dependent on the level of interest expressed by the membership. Start times for the workshops will be posted as the Convention draws closer. Please check the APFA website Calendar section for the exact location. APFA’s National Scheduling Coordinator Jaimie McNeice and National Contract Coordinator Brent Peterson will conduct the Scheduling workshops. Bring your new “On Duty Contract Guide” in the most recent issue of Skyword. To enroll, please contact Linda Plunk, secretary to the Coordinators at APFA, (817) 540-0108, extension 8200. Jill Frank, APFA member and Retirement Specialist, will conduct the Retirement workshops. Please bring your “Retirement Made Easy” bookletfrom the 3Q 2004 Skyword. If possible, bring your laptop computer. To enroll, please leave a message for Jill at APFA, extension 8397.

Class size is limited, so sign up early and plan to stay for the 12th Annual APFA Awards and Recognition Dinner that is being held that evening. Details will follow on the APFA website shortly.

In Industry News, US Airways’ mechanics approved a $353 million annual concessionary contract that cuts pay, allows for outsourcing, and as a result, cuts jobs. Had the IAM’s members not approved these latest concessions, a Bankruptcy judge would’ve more than likely imposed less-favorable terms. US Airways has now hit $1.1 billion in labor cuts. US Airways is hoping to emerge from Bankruptcy this June.

United, on the other hand hopes to finally emerge from bankruptcy this fall. Monday the 31st is the day their unionized employees vote on the latest concessionary tentative agreements. In the meantime, UAL reported a $664 million loss for the 4th Quarter, which prompted their CEO to remind the world that of course, these losses are a result of high labor costs.

ATA management has agreed to forego their retention pay totaling $4.5 million if the ATA pilots take more pay cuts. This was prompted by the pilots’ recent rejection of a T/A including $6 million in pay cuts due to their suspicion that ATA was going to fund management’s retention bonuses with their concessions.

Alaska Airlines and its baggage handlers are in bargaining and in the event of a work disruption, Alaska is asking for volunteers to load baggage during any disruption. Alaska has asked for $112 million in pay and benefit cuts from all of its workers.

Continental’s pilots offered $122 million in pay and benefit cuts in exchange for job security and pension protection. The amount is less than management has requested, which totals $500 million from all workers with a deadline of February 28th.

Now, onto Rumor Control:

Q: One flight attendant asked, “I flew with a girl who said she wrote a proposal asking management to consider putting all Flight Attendants back on reserve one month a year so as to lessen the blow of Reserve to those who are junior since there seems to be no relief in sight. Is this a possibility?”

A: After checking with the Company, it appears that several suggestions were made on how to improve Reserve – and this was one of them – this particular idea was rejected as it is a direct violation of our Contract.

Q: Are there going to be Flight Attendant callbacks this year?

A: We are always hopeful that this rumor is true and our furloughees can return to work. However, the company has given us no indication that callbacks are on their immediate radar screen.

Q: I hear Boston might become solely an International base. Is this true?

A: APFA has heard nothing to confirm this rumor is true.

Please remember to wear your union pin. We have seen more and more Flight Attendants putting their Union Pins back on and received many requests for lost pins. If you need a replacement, you can leave a message at ext. 8153 at APFA HDQ, or email [email protected].

That’s it for this week – thank you for calling the APFA Hotline.