10.12.06 – (LAA) – Health Benefits Enrollment, Skyword, On-Duty Contract Guide, FA Contract Comarison, HNL, Northwest Mechanics Strike

 

This is Leslie Mayo, National Communications Coordinator, with the APFA Hotline for Thursday, October 12, 2006.

APFA News: From the Health Department: Health Benefits enrollment began October 1^st and must be completed by October 31, 2006. We suggest that you review the APFA Web site for a comparison chart detailing the differences between the contractually-protected Standard Health (PPO) Plan, aka 80/20 Plan, and the company-sponsored Point of Service (POS) Plan for the 2007 benefit year.

The benefits offered under the Standard PPO Plan were locked in place as a result of the Restructuring Agreement and cannot be changed for the duration of our Contract. The same cannot be said for the POS Plan, which is not contractual for any work group on our property. The Company offers the POS to all employees and contends that it has the unilateral right to reduce and/or alter benefits under this Plan. APFA is reminding members to take extra care when selecting health benefit coverage during the enrollment period ending October 31^st. APFA has filed several Presidential Grievances against American Airlines relating to health benefit changes and can be reviewed on the APFA Web site.

Remember, you may change your elections anytime during the enrollment period, however, once the benefit enrollment period ends, no alteration to your election is possible unless you experience a life-changing event.

From the Communications Department:In the 2004 4^th Quarter Skyword, APFA and AA published the On-Duty Contract Guide which was to serve as a quick reference tool for our members regarding the 2003 changes to our wages, work rules and benefits. At that time the APFA Web site had our 2001 Collective Bargaining Agreement and the 2003 Restructuring Agreement published separately. Effective with our newly refurbished Web site APFA has published the 2006 Foundation Document. This document is a product of much discussion between labor and management to mesh our current basic Agreement – the 2001 CBA as modified in 2003. You are free to either download the file in its entirety, or click on the Articles, Letters and Appendices link by link within the Web site. You will see that the linked Foundation Document is a work in progress but is being made available on the new Web site as a resource for your use.

In the most recentSkywordAPFA published an Industry Flight Attendant Contract Comparison guide. We suggest that you carry the APFA/AA On-Duty Contract Guide as well as APFA’s Industry Comparison guide with you so that you can be informed as to the current industry standards regarding FA Contracts.

From the Hotel Department: Please check www.apfa.org for changes to the HNL layover property effective January 31, 2007. This change is due to the expired contract between the parties, and the hotel’s rate increase as well as the reduced number of rooms the hotel planned to make available to AA crewmembers.

Bankruptcy Watch: Northwest and AMFA, the union representing the striking Northwest mechanics, reached a tentative agreement with a vote scheduled for a month from now. Many of the mechanics have been replaced since they went on Strike August 20, 2005. The T/A gives members one week of layoff pay per year of service to a maximum of five weeks’ pay if they accept layoff status, or one week of separation pay for each year of service for a total of up to ten weeks if they leave the company. Those accepting layoff will remain on furlough for two years once the Agreement is signed.

Fuel Watch: As of Tuesday, October 10th, a barrel of crude oil cost $58.52, down .16 cents from last week’s price. The crack spread price was $15.23, up .25 cents from last week’s price. This brings the cost of one barrel of jet fuel to $73.75 – up .09 cents from the price of jet fuel a week ago.

The total for one barrel of jet fuel a year ago was $100.24, about $40 more than the price of a barrel of jet fuel today.

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