10.26.07 – (LAA) – California Wildfires, Health Benefits Selections, Negotiating Team Planning Listening Tour

This is Leslie Mayo, National Communications Coordinator, with the APFA Hotline for Friday, October 26, 2007.

CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES: For those AA employees who require assistance coping with the Southern California Wildfires, UHC and PacifiCare have set up a free Help Line for AA employees. Go to APFA’s Web site and click on the link in the scrolling news area at the top right corner of www.apfa.org for more details and the contact phone number.

From the APFA Health Department: Your last chance to make 2008 health benefit selections is Wednesday, October 31, 2007. Go to JetNet and click on benefits. Be sure to review the changes made by the company to next year’s plan before making your selections. If you do not want insurance through American, you must access JetNet and indicate you are declining insurance. If you have any questions, please contact APFA’s Health Department during hours of operation – M-F, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

From the APFA Negotiating Team: The Team is planning a ‘Listening Tour’ the week of November 12th. Members of the Team will be traveling to the ten base cites throughout the week to talk with Flight Attendants and listen to your feedback and suggestions. If your schedule permits, we hope you will join in on one of these visits to meet with members of your Negotiating Team and share your thoughts. A list of dates, times and locations for each base city will be published next week. Please check the Negotiations link on APFA’s Web site for details.

APFA Communications: APFA is asking FAs to submit their ideas for slogans and graphics to utilize in next round of bargaining. We’ve received some great ideas so far and will be ending the slogan suggestions contest soon. Please click on the link on APFA’s Web site to submit your slogan suggestions for the next round of bargaining.

From the APFA Contract Department: We have heard from several recalled and furloughed APFA members regarding some difficulties you are having with prefunding status. If you are furloughed or have been recalled and have lost your prefunding of retiree medical benefits for any reason, please forward a factual account of your situation including your name, employee number, detailed circumstances and a timeline that resulted in the loss of prefunding to [email protected]. If you aren’t sure whether you have prefunding and are on AA payroll, check your most recent pay stub by going to Jetnet and clicking on ePays to confirm the prefunding deduction listed under your after-tax deductions. Keep in mind you must prefund for your retiree medical benefits anytime you are on payroll even if you are over age 55. If you have not been recalled or you have been recalled but are not yet on AAís payroll and are unclear whether your prefunding is intact, call AAís Employee Services at 800-447-2000.

From the APFA Scheduling Department: Just a reminder to be sure to review the “last five days of the month” contractual language posted in the scrolling area of APFA’s Web site.

From APFA’s Retirement Specialist: It’s never too early to plan your retirement. Regardless of your seniority or your age, every one of us should already be making preparations. There are two upcoming flight attendant-specific seminars scheduled for New York. On October 30th and 31st. The October 30th seminar will be at LGA and begins at 3:00 pm Eastern in the 3rd floor training room. The October 31st seminar will be at JFK at 1:30 pm in the 4th floor conference room. You will learn how to maximize your pensionable earnings and find out more information about the FA retirement health insurance plan, retiree travel, life insurance and AA’s 401K plan.

If you plan to attend one of these seminars, visit Jetnet to download and print a copy of your personal pension estimate. APFA’s Retirement specialist Jena Hopkins will be in attendance at the LGA seminar, and JFK retirement representative Mickey Sullivan will attend both seminars.

We still have 1,460 APFA members on furlough waiting to be recalled. Visit www.apfa.org and click on the link entitled “Extend Recall Rights for Furloughed AA FA’s” to let the Senate know you support the extension of recall rights for our furloughed Flight Attendants.

Thatís it for this week. Thank you for calling the APFA Hotline.