9.01.09 – (LAA) – Mitigating AA’s Potential Furlough

This is APFA President Laura Glading with a special HotLine update for September 1.

Today we have the results of what has been a tremendously complex process of mitigating American’s potential furlough of up to 1,200 of our members. The process was made all the more complicated by the recent notice of the COBRA medical subsidy made available for a wider number of members, including many of those taking voluntary overage leaves.

While the reopening of the proffer resulted in countless hours of work and required the potential furloughees to wait longer for the numbers to be released, the extension was well worth the effort as we were able to preserve more jobs for our members and I want to thank the Flight Attendants who took advantage of the various voluntary options.

Here are the numbers and details:

Of the 1,200 potential Flight Attendant furloughs, 728 have been prevented through voluntary mitigation efforts. This means the 728 most senior will not be impacted on October 1, 2009.

Of the remaining 472 there are two distinct groups.

The 244 most senior will face a short term Involuntary Overage Leave of Absence (IOLOA) for the months of October and November only. This is an innovative, onetime involuntary leave program we agreed upon with the Company to avoid additional indefinite furloughs during this round of lay-offs. This differs from a normal furlough in several important ways:

• it is of a limited, two-month duration,
• there is no loss of seniority,
• the normal return from furlough procedures are avoided, and most importantly
• you will resume flying for the contractual month of December 2009 at your same base.

As it is with a furlough, American will not contest unemployment claims.

Unfortunately, the remaining group of membersóthe 228 most junior of the original 1,200ówill face an indefinite furlough by American beginning October 1, 2009.

While it is no cause for celebration when even one Flight Attendant is furloughed, we are pleased that well over half of the potential job losses have been avoided. Furthermore, over half of those who will experience job loss from this reduction in force will face an abbreviated time off the line with a return to work date.

APFA continues to work tirelessly within our own airline, within a coalition of other Flight Attendant unions and within our government to bring about changes necessary to stop the cycles of boom and bust which undermine this profession so many of us have fought to make a secure and rewarding career.

We will continue to do all we can in these arenas to again make the airlines, and American in particular, a place where we can proudly welcome back our furloughed colleagues soon and permanently. APFA will not rest until all furloughed Flight Attendants are back at work.

Our Representatives remain available to assist those of you now facing furlough. Please refer to the Reduction/Furlough section of the APFA website for more information as it becomes available, including a breakdown of the Overage Leave, Modified Partnership Flying and Travel Separation awards.

Thank you.
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Please see the September 1 flight service hotline update from Lauri Curtis for more information, including an Overage Leave of Absence Q n A. (click here – Jetnet login required.)

Involuntary Overage Leave of Absence (IOLOA) Letter of Agreement (click here to go to page – login required)