1.13.08 – (LAA) – Flight Attendant Strategic Bargaining Summit, National Officer Election Ballots Due, WTS for Ad Hoc Places 1 and 2, BOD Convention

This is Leslie Mayo, National Communications Coordinator, with the APFA Hotline for Sunday, January 13, 2008.

Negotiations: The APFA Negotiating Team and National Officers spent three days this past week co-hosting the first-ever Flight Attendant Strategic Bargaining Summit in Washington, D.C. This Summit is an extension of the Coalition of Flight Attendant Unions, comprised of Flight Attendant unions across the country including APFA, AFA, IAM District 142 and TWU Local 556. The Coalition represents a combined total of over 90,000 Flight Attendants. Airlines with labor leaders in attendance include AirTran Airways, Alaska Airlines, Aloha Airlines, America West Airlines, American Airlines, American Eagle, ATA, Continental Airlines, Horizon Air, Mesa Airlines, Mesaba Airlines, Northwest Airlines, Midwest Airlines, Piedmont Airlines, PSA Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways.

The Summit was designed to bring together every Flight Attendant Union in the nation to coordinate a campaign to strengthen our bargaining power and raise the industry standard for wages, retirement, health care, benefits and working conditions for Flight Attendants and retirees.

The Coalition appointed at least one member from each Union to formulate specific plans to put the Coalition’s goals into action. APFA is proud to be a part of this coalition and optimistic that the combined efforts of FA unions nationwide will produce positive results in negotiations. Imagine the possibilities with 90,000 Flight Attendants joining together to take a stand.

The coalition meets again in March to continue strategizing on our behalf. A statement issued by the Joint Coalition of Flight Attendant Unions can be found on the APFA Web site. Additional information will be forthcoming regarding future membership actions and events as a result of the coalition.

You should receive a letter from the APFA Negotiating Team reminding all APFA members about the negotiations online survey available at www.apfa.org through February 5, 2008. This letter contains a pin jacket designed to be worn behind your union pin that reads “I’ve Done It.” Every member should participate in the survey that will guide APFA’s contract proposals when we exchange openers with AA this spring. The survey is being conducted by the University of North Texas (UNT) and individual results are completely confidential. Results will be compiled by UNT and presented to the team for evaluation by the UNT’s Research Survey Center. If you are not a member in good standing, please contact [email protected] to become dues current and take the time to make your voice heard.

National Officer Elections: If you haven’t yet mailed your ballot for APFA’s National Officer elections, the deadline is near. Ballots are due in the designated PO Box in Euless, Texas by Thursday, January 17, 2008. Mail your ballots immediately to be sure your vote counts. If you are interested in attending the ballot count, it will be held at the Radisson Hotel on Airport Freeway South in Irving, TX. All members in good standing are welcome to attend. Ballots will be collected that morning from the Post Office by our outside accounting firm Whitley Penn and Associates as well as the APFA National Ballot Committee.

Willingness to Serves: Willingness to Serve (WTS) notices for Ad Hoc Places 1 and 2 of the Executive Committee were due in the designated PO Box last week, however, none were received. WTS notifications may be returned to the APFA Secretary or the National Ballot Committee anytime prior to the start of the Annual Convention – February 13, 2008.

Hotel Department: Crewmembers will be returning to our former layover hotel in Brussels effective the end of January. The hotel offers 50% discounts on food and beverage, free metro tickets and more. Check the APFA Web site for details. The Hotel Department would like to thank all members who filled out APFA’s hotel survey for Brussels. These surveys indicated a preference for either a downtown layover hotel or a move to our former layover hotel. Please continue with your feedback to [email protected].

Rumor Control:
Q: I am still hearing rumors that AA has installed cameras in the galley on two of our aircraft. Can you confirm this for me again?
A: After bringing this to the attention of the FAA, the company is required to notify them of any intentions to modify the avionics of the aircraft. The FAA tells us that since installing cameras would be considered an alteration to the avionics, this appears to be a rumor. As has been in the news of late, AA has installed missile detection systems on the outside of two aircraft. Perhaps this is where the confusion stemmed from.

APFA Board of Directors Convention: This year’s APFA Annual Convention will take place at the San Francisco Hilton Downtown from February 13 through the 16, 2008. Day one of the Convention will include the nomination of Ad Hocs to the Executive Committee for a three-year term, as well as the approval of the FYE 2009 budget and other APFA business. All members in good standing are encouraged to attend any or all of the week’s meetings.

The Annual Awards Banquet will be the evening of the 13th and tickets for this event go on sale shortly. This banquet is subsidized by donations from APFA’s vendors as well as APFA members including current and past elected and appointed leaders of our Union. Tickets for the banquet will go on sale shortly so stay tuned to the hotline for more information.

Please remember we still have 1,200 Flight Attendants awaiting recall.

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