10.05.05

Hello, this is Denise Pointer with an InfoRep Hotline for Wednesday, October 5, 2005.

For months, we have been communicating the importance of everyone contacting their representatives in Washington D.C. to let them know we need legislation that does not force us to freeze our pension plan. The timing to communicate has never been more urgent. Presently, action has stalled on private pension reform legislation in the U.S. Senate while lawmakers try to resolve a dispute about special aid for troubled airlines.

Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn said he has placed a "hold" — a procedural maneuver blocking action — on the pension reform bill that might otherwise have moved to the Senate floor this week, until the argument over airline aid is resolved. Cornyn said he acted after American Airlines and Continental Airlines complained about a provision that would allow competitors in bankruptcy proceedings to postpone payments to their pension plans for many years.

If you haven’t already done so, please call or write your senators today! Log onto the APFA website at www.www.apfa.org for contact assistance.

This past Monday began the APFA constitutionally mandated BOD annual training. The meeting was held in PHX. Contrary to many rumors, APFA did not spend over $350 per room for their attendees. In fact, hotel costs were negotiated at extremely competitive prices. In a real coup, APFA was able to additionally negotiate all meeting rooms at no expense to APFA.

This year the training focused on building a strong leadership foundation. APFA leadership met with several outside labor experts who assisted with this training. Also present at this meeting were leaders from both the APA and TWU, as well as outside consultants working on the joint labor/management efforts. Detailed information from this training session will be forthcoming.

APFA Legislative Rep Rick Musica and I will be in ORD operations on Tuesday, October 11, and STL operations on Wednesday, October 12, to provide information on and promote legislative issues. We will also be recruiting new participants in the InfoRep program. We will be traveling to LAX on Tuesday, October 18, and to SFO on Wednesday, October 19. Please stop by Operations and say hello!

As many of you have already heard, AA announced this week that we will no longer be flying the ORD – Nagoya route effective November 1, 2005. The Company cited several reasons for the decision including lower than expected revenue on the route combined with increasing fuel costs and the very aggressive long-haul expansion planned for New Delhi, Osaka and Shanghai.

Additionally, it was announced that 15 roundtrip flights from DFW and ORD will be temporarily cancelled October 5 thru October 29. Increasing jet fuel costs were cited as a reason for these cancellations.

APFA and AA have agreed to extend the Purser Flex Test beginning October 1, 2005, continuing through March 31, 2006. After that, the Test will automatically renew itself each month unless and until either the Company or the Union serves a 30-day notice of intent to cancel it.

Last week, APFA Scheduling Coordinator announced a Reserve Preference Test. This test will be conducted on the Reserve preference awarding process. APFA and our members have had ongoing concerns with the Company’s failure to honor reserve preferences.

AA Crew Resources has agreed to test the Time Accrued Reserve Assignment system in the manner most consistent with honoring preferences. Beginning October 1, SLT and BOS Domestic will be the test bases. Reserve Flight Attendants in these bases should enter preferences.

The Hotel Department would like to remind everyone of the importance of submitting hotel debriefs via the www.apfa.org web site. Log onto www.www.apfa.org, click on Department, then Hotel. The Hotel Debrief can be filled out electronically on-line. This information is critically important when performing hotel reviews. I know that we sometimes seem to think that writing things up doesn t effect change, but in this instance, that couldn t be further from the truth! Debrief away!

The rumor mill has been pretty busy this past week. I already addressed the issue of the hotel expense regarding the PHX BOD Annual Training. The emails that were forwarded to me were full of incorrect information and false facts . Thank you to everyone who sent me all these emails. Rather than perpetuating bad information, it s the duty of an InfoRep to pass along the facts whether you like them or not. Factual information is what this important APFA program is all about.

In January of this year, I said something in a hotline message that I think bears repeating. When talking in the galleys, in operations or on email groups, we will always have our own opinions, beliefs and goals. We must continue to embrace our differences. Diversity is not a bad thing!

I know we all will agree that spreading false information for the sake of dividing and conquering hurts our profession and each other by weakening our workgroup. As an InfoRep, you are going to be receiving the good, the bad and the ugly. It will be factual, it will be timely, and it will be spin-less . All of your questions and concerns from the field will be addressed.

Thank you for communicating your questions and your comments and most of all, thanks for being a part of the InfoRep Program.

Denise Pointer, DFW InfoRep
InfoRep Program
1004 W. Euless Boulevard
Euless, TX 76040
817-540-0108 Ext. 8743
[email protected]