7.24.09 – (LAA) – Show OUR UNITY, Furlough Mitigation Options, Email Your Senators Today, Retirement Seminar at DFW

APFA weekly HotLine update for Friday, July 24, 2009.

QUICK ALERTS

• Show our Unity! Wear only your APFA Pin and Wings!
• One week remains for Furlough Mitigation options. Get the word out.
• Email your Senators today to encourage support for Family Leave for crewmembers. (click here)
• Retirement Seminar at DFW – 0900 on August 3. (details below)

MEDIATED CONTRACT TALKS WITH AMERICAN RESUME

After a week of preparation, including thoroughly reviewing contractual language for articles with Tentative Agreements (TA), your APFA Negotiating Team resumed bargaining talks with American management. On Monday, July 20, the two sides – along with NMB Mediator Ernie DuBester – met in the Dallas area to begin the first of two full-week sessions. Another is planned in Washington, DC starting July 27. Talks had last ended in May with a Tentative Agreement on Article 10 – Reserve.

Members are responding to the Pins and Wings campaign to demonstrate that we can act with one voice and back our Negotiating Team at the bargaining table. Show that you, too, side with your fellow Flight Attendants as we fight for improved pay, work rules and benefits. If you need a replacement APFA pin, email: [email protected]. We need compliance from everyone. Move your memorial pins, service pins, flags, etc. to your serving garment and proudly show only your APFA pin and wings (and any required nametag) on your jacket. If you are not wearing just Pins and Wings then you are not displaying your unity with your fellow members and your Union!

And remember, if questioned by management about your thoughts on the ongoing talks, the correct answer is: “My Negotiating Team Speaks for Me!”

MORE AIRLINE EARNINGS REPORTS FOR SECOND QUARTER

After American’s report last week of a second quarter loss, more earnings announcements have poured in from other US carriers. Most are in the minus column, a few are in the plus, some straddling both sides of the balance sheet at once as no one seems to be able to report just one figure nowadays. Reports are tempered with one-time charges, credits, write-offs, allowances, special items, etc. that massage – if not outright cloud – the final results. Here are the latest reports along with the adjustments du jour chosen by each reporting corporation. First, those joining American in reporting losses for the quarter include:

Delta, turning in a minus $257 million for the three months April to June 2009. Excluding “merger costs,” the number was minus $199 million.

Continental posted a loss of $213 million, or just minus $169 million, excluding “one-time charges.”

United straddled the line, reporting either a profit of $28 million, or a loss of $323 million depending on whether or not “non-cash hedge gains” are included.

US Airways also reported both profit and loss numbers. Either a profit of $58 million or, less the one-time gains on “unrealized fuel hedging contracts,” a minus $95 million.

Moving to those airlines solidly in the black now: Southwest reported a profit of $54 million. That increases to $59 million excluding “special items.”

Topping even Southwest, Air Tran’s profit was $78.4 million for the quarter. Excluding a number of “unrealized gains” and “write offs”, the net still stands at $46.6 million for the three months.

Alaska Air reported a profit of $29.1 million, though that also included “one-time items,” without which the profit was $26.5 million.

Finally JetBlue revealed a quarterly profit of $20 million, reduced to $14 million excluding an “accounting gain.”

Despite the amount of red ink overall and the schizophrenic reporting style, most carriers showed improvement over the same quarter last year. Much of that was due to lower fuel costs, which had originally led to forecasts of a profitable 2009 for US carriers. A sharp decline in year-over-year revenue in the current depressed economy – in some cases exceeding 25% – has wiped out most of the advantages of the cheaper fuel. Most carriers, including some with profitable second quarters, are warning of continued weakness for the remainder of the year. Many have now announced more capacity and/or job cuts, much as American did some weeks ago.

ONE WEEK REMAINS FOR FURLOUGH MITIGATION OPTIONS

It was American’s capacity adjustments and announced Flight Attendant manning overage that prompted the current offering of Overage Leaves, Modified Partnership Flying and the Travel Separation Program to help reduce the potential furlough of up to 1,200 Flight Attendants effective October 1.

All the information is on our Reduction in Force page and on the AA Flight Service website. The deadlines for submitting proffer ballots are as follows:

Travel Separation Program for active Flight Attendants: 11pm (2300) central time on Thursday, July 30

Overage Leaves of Absence and/or Modified Partnership Flying: 10am (1000) central time on Friday, July 31

Travel Separation Program for furloughed Flight Attendants: 11pm (2300) central time on Friday, August 14

Even if not be in a position yourself to take an Overage Leave of Absence, or to reduce your flying for the fall through the Modified Partnership (Part-Time), please share the available information with those you know who may be looking for time off or reduced flying or who routinely drop part or all of their schedule. Direct them to the APFA or AA Flight Service websites for all the information. Doing so may save another Flight Attendant’s career.

If you are considering proffering Modified Partnership for the three-month period October through December, there is a detailed example of the 420-hour threshold calculation for this ìpart-timeî period on the Reduction in Force page. (click here to view)

See a one-page overview of all the mitigation options through this link: Summary Table of Furlough Mitigation Options

Remember that those among the 1,200 subject to furlough may proffer an Overage Leave and/or Modified Partnership Flying. As in the past, the number of proffers to be awarded to these Flight Attendants will be based on the number of Leaves, Modified Partnership Flying and Travel Separations awarded to those not originally subject to the furlough.

For currently furloughed Flight Attendants, an invitation and information letter regarding the Travel Separation Program was sent by AA on July 13 and the election window opened on July 15. Click here to view a copy of the letter.

If interested, your election form is accessible online through: www.aacareers.com/support

Please contact an APFA Rep-on-Duty if you have any questions about how an Overage Leave of Absence, the Modified Partnership Flying (Part-Time) or a Travel Separation can work for you. Go to the Contact page of APFA.org.

HUNDREDS RESPOND TO REQUEST FOR ACTION ON FAMILY LEAVE LEGISLATION

Have you gone to Capwiz yet to email your Senators in support of Family Leave legislation? Crew members have been largely left out of the eligibility calculation of the FMLA due to our unusual scheduling systems. The Airline Flight Crew Technical Corrections Act (S.1422) has been reintroduced into the US Senate by Senator Patty Murray of Washington. APFA strongly supports this legislation to correct and clarify the eligibility requirements of the Family Leave and Medical Act with respect to airline flight crews. The Capwiz online system is an easy way to email your Senators and will send either a request for support or a thank-you letter depending on their co-sponsorship status.

If you have not sent your emails yet, please respond today. It’s fast and easy. (Click here for APFA’s Capwiz alert page.)

DALLAS/FT WORTH RETIREMENT SEMINARS

Another Flight Attendant specific retirement seminar is scheduled at DFW for Monday, August 3. 9am (0900) is the time and the Yandry Center – across gate C2, DFW terminal C – is the place. Flight Attendants from all bases are welcome to attend. No reservations are required. Representatives from both APFA and AA are scheduled to be present. Discussions include pension selections and retirement benefits, including insurance and travel. To get the most out of these helpful seminars, print out and bring your personal pension estimate and plan calculation formulas from Jetnet.

IDF BASE MEETING

IDF representatives will hold a base meeting on Thursday, August 20, from 1230 – 1430, in the Unity Pays room at APFA Headquarters. Members in good standing are invited to attend. The address is 1004 W. Euless Blvd. Euless, TX (click here for map)

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Remember that there are 1,258 members now on furlough and awaiting recall.