8.14.09 – (LAA) – OUR TURN Around Campaign, Presidential Grievance Filed Over Cash Collection Procedures, Email Your Senators

APFA weekly HotLine update for Friday, August 14, 2009.

QUICK ALERTS

• Watch your mail: OUR TURN Around Campaign is starting.
• Presidential Grievance filed over cash collection procedures. Send us your info.
• Email your support for Flight Attendant friendly Senate bills today!

FURLOUGH MITIGATION OPTIONS RESULTS EXPECTED SOON

At the end of July, proffers closed for the mitigation options aimed at preventing the need for American to furlough up to 1,200 of our members. These were the Travel Separation Program, Overage Leaves of Absence and Modified Partnership Flying. Since that time, Flight Service has continued to work on processing the volume of requests received. Our Contract Department has assisted as much as possible as shorter leave requests are matched up and combined to award the greatest number of leaves and partnerships. Additionally, APFA and the company continue discussions to find new ways to achieve the maximum result possible from the ballots received. The company and your Union are exhausting all possible means to ensure that those able to take a leave can, including fully exploring the options available which may increase the interest in leaves for a number of our members.

We realize that all Flight Attendants-especially those who fall within the 1,200 most junior-are anxious for the results. But we remain committed to achieving the best possible outcome for our members even if that means we must take some additional time to consider all options.

CABIN ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

As many of you may be aware Passenger Service in MIA launched a Cabin Assist program on Monday, August 10. This was a Passenger Service initiative, implemented without involvement of APFA. Since announcing the program, Flight Service has agreed with APFA’s position that the persons utilized for the Cabin Assist program must not come on board the aircraft to assist passengers. These are duties belonging to our Flight Attendants. As a result of our discussions, Flight Service has notified Passenger Service effectively immediately that these individuals are not to come on board the aircraft to assist.

WATCH YOUR MAIL FOR “OUR TURN” AROUND CAMPAIGN MATERIALS

Your APFA Negotiating Team is completing the final production and mailing of the new pin “jacket,” a two-colored disk to be paced behind your APFA pin. The pin jacket plays an important role in OUR TURN Around Campaign to symbolically demonstrate our strength and unity to the company and to the public. Instructions are included in the mailing. When you receive your disk, please immediately place it behind your APFA pin with the yellow side showing. Pins and Wings continues with the addition of this one piece which members should begin receiving next week.

Part Four of the Membership Outreach Meeting video from June, available to members at APFA.org (click here – login required) explains OUR TURN Around Campaign in more detail. All four parts of the meeting video give an extensive overview of our negotiations goals and progress. As your Team prepares for the resumption of mediated talks on August 31, visibly demonstrate your unity with your Team, your fellow Flight Attendants and your Union by wearing only your APFA pin and wings. If you need a replacement APFA pin, please email: [email protected] or call headquarters ext. 8153 (817.540.0108) and leave your name, employee number, base and address information.

ATTENTION ALL STL BASED FLIGHT ATTENDANTS ñ UPCOMING VICE CHAIR ELECTION

The Notifications of Willingness-to-Serve (WTS) for the position of Vice Chairperson at STL have been mailed and are due back in the post office box indicated on the notice by 10 AM (1000) central time on Wednesday, September 9, 2009. Please contact the National Ballot Committee with any questions via email to: [email protected] or headquarters extension 8311. The complete election timeline is detailed on the Elections and Balloting page of APFA.org. (A downloadable WTS is available on that page.)

PRESIDENTIAL GRIEVANCE FILED OVER CASH COLLECTION

The APFA has filed a Presidential Grievance challenging the company’s design, administration, investigation and/or auditing of its cash collection system involving monies from onboard sales. We are requesting information from all Flight Attendants who have experienced problems with deposits, missing deposit notifications, OSRs, and liquor safe deposit issues. Please forward this information to the Vice Presidents department at: [email protected]. Please include all pertinent information including your contact information.

If you have received a missing deposit notification, contact your Flight Service Manager by email and ask for a written follow up on the status of the missing envelope. Once you’ve sent the email, forward copies of your correspondence and management’s response to APFA Vice President’s department at [email protected]. If you have questions please contact your Division Representative immediately. (click here for email addresses)

MEMBERSHIP ACTION REQUIRED ON THE LEGISLATIVE FRONT

US Senators are now in recess but there are important issues they must address when they return from their home states to Washington in September. Please go online now through our Capwiz links below and email your Senators to urge their support of Senate bills S.1422 and S.1451.

• The FAA Reauthorization Legislation (S.1451) contains all of our Flight Attendant provisions, including the fatigue study, OSHA Regulations and English Language requirements. It is expected on the Senate floor in September.
• The Airline Flight Crew Technical Corrections Act (S.1422) aims to clarify the eligibility requirements of the Family Leave and Medical Act with respect to airline flight crews who have been largely left out of the eligibility calculation of the FMLA due to our unusual scheduling patterns.

Take a moment now to use our Capwiz page fill-in forms to email your Senators through these two links:

S.1451 – FAA Reauthorization Legislation (click here)
S.1422 – Family Leave for Crewmembers (click here)

MORE UNIONS TURN TO NATIONAL MEDIATION BOARD

Besides mediating our talks with American, the National Mediation Board is gearing up for mediation with our sisters and brothers at United Airlines. As part of the agreement to begin bargaining ahead of their contract’s amendable date, the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA) at United and company management have jointly requested mediation in their negotiations which began in early April. (click here for media release) The United contract becomes amendable in January.

Over at the world’s largest airline, Delta, the AFA-CWA (which represents Northwest) has asked the NMB to declare that the merger of Delta and Northwest has created a single transportation system and to conduct a representational election for the combined Flight Attendant work group. (click here for press release)

AFA-CWA is a member, along with APFA, of the Flight Attendant Union Coalition. We support their organizing efforts at Delta and their negotiations with United as we all work to strengthen our career and secure our futures.

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 now 1,252 members on furlough and awaiting recall. The updated list is on the furlough page at APFA.org. (click here)

Have you visited the redesigned Wings Foundation website lately? More than just can recycling, the Wings Foundation is run by AA Flight Attendants, for AA Flight Attendants, providing assistance for our members in need. Wings sponsors fund raising activities around our system and has representatives at every base. Please check their website for contacts at your base, to learn how you can volunteer, donate or apply for assistance. Go to: wingsfoundation.com