5.20.07 – (LAA) – 30th Anniversary of APFA, EPT’s, Retirement Seminars

This is Leslie Mayo, National Communications Coordinator, with the APFA Hotline for Sunday, May 20, 2007.

This week marks the 30th anniversary of APFA as the bargaining representative for the American Airlines Flight Attendants. Our representational history goes back 60 years beginning in 1947 when the AA Flight Attendants first joined the Air Line Stewards and Stewardesses Association (ALSSA) which was, at the time, only one year old. Back then, the FAs had no voting rights for its parent international union – ALPA – and broke off 16 years later to join TWU. It wasn’t until 1968 that our FAs bargained for the right to marry and be older than age 32 years and still have the ability to fly. Nine years later the first man was hired, and three years after that, the Flight Attendants of American elected to change to independent membership with the newly-formed Association of Professional Flight Attendants.

Today, APFA is the oldest and last remaining independent FA union in the nation. We have a proud history that began on May 16, 1977, and we have succeeded in maintaining our independence despite the ups and downs of everything from the cyclical air transportation business to senior management. AA’s management will come and go, but those of us who are here for the long term know that if it weren’t for the workers that have turned this job into a career, American Airlines would’ve followed all of the other major carriers right off the bankruptcy cliff.

On that note, the 30th Anniversary/State of the Union Skyword has been mailed to your homes and contains a four-page timeline of our representational history. Please take the time to read this as well as view the Executive Bonus picketing photos from all bases, APFA’s White Paper and other articles contained in this special edition of Skyword. It is available online at www.www.apfa.org if you have requested to discontinue receiving Skyword in the mail. On June 5, 2007, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. we will host an anniversary celebration at APFA Headquarters. All members in good standing are welcome to attend. If you would like to join us, please RSVP to Linda Plunk, Secretary to the Coordinators at 817.540.0108, ext. 8200 or send her an email at [email protected]. We look forward to seeing many of you there.

And now, onto APFA Business: As we announced on Wednesday via the Hotline, APFA requested an investigation by the SEC into “the common stock price and volume of common stock traded in relationship to the April 18, 2007, award of common shares as part of the PSP.” For the entire language of this letter as well as supporting documents and the press release issued on May 16th, please visit www.apfa.org and click on Executive Bonuses.

From the Contract Department: APFA has received calls from Flight Attendants who did not schedule EPT’s earlier this month and are therefore finding that there are no available classes to sign up for. For those Flight Attendants who are either QI (Qualifications Insufficient) or about to go QI as a result of not attending EPT’s in their grace month and not being enrolled in an EPT class, will be enrolled in a class later this month. Plan to bid as you normally would for the month of June.

From the Retirement Department: Two retirement seminars are scheduled for Flight Attendants in the New York area on June 12th and 13th. The first seminar will be held at LGA in the 3rd Floor Conference Room of the Hangar from 3:00 to 4:30 on June 12th. The following day, there will be a retirement seminar at JFK in the new Terminal 9 group room on the same level as pilot operations from 1:30 to 3:30. These meetings are first come/first served so be sure to arrive early as seating is restricted to room capacity.

Please remember we still have 2,121 Flight Attendants still furloughed following the recently announced recall of 200 members.

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