7.30.10 – (LAA) – National Treasurer Run-Off, Spirit Pilots Ratify Contract, Additional Support from Congress, President’s Op-Ed Published, United Healthcare Lawsuit, Retirement Briefings, Contract App

Special Hotline Update for Monday, August 2, 2010 – APFA National Treasurer Run-Off Election Results

This is APFA National Ballot Committee Chairperson, Gay Floyd, with the results of the National Treasurer Run-Off Election results.

The National Ballot Committee has certified the results of the Treasurer Run-Off election. The results are as follows: Steven Baumert received 2,247 votes. Michael Parker received 1,863 votes. There were 14,085 eligible voters, for which 4,110 cast ballots, representing 29.2% of the eligible voters. Of the 4,110 ballots received, 3,590 (87.3%) were cast via the telephone, and 520 (12.7%) were cast via the Web. There were 97 ballots declared void. Steven Baumert will assume office immediately for the remainder of the four year term ending March 31, 2012.

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This is Jeff Pharr, APFA National Communications Coordinator with the weekly Hotline update for Friday, July 30, 2010

APFA NATIONAL TREASURER RUN-OFF ELECTION

Ballots for APFA National Treasurer were mailed on Saturday July 3, 2010. Polls for this election will close and ballots are due on Monday, August 2, 2010.

Candidates for APFA National Treasurer are Steven Baumert and Michael Parker. Information for these candidates is included in the voter packet, available on the www.apfa.org website and by clicking here.

SPIRIT PILOTS RATIFY CONTRACT

Pilots at Spirit Airlines ratified a new contract late last week. The pilots represented by the Airline Pilots Association (ALPA) have been in negotiations for four years. The pilots called a strike at 5:01 a.m. on June 12, 2010 at the end of the 30-day cooling off period which had been declared by the National Mediation Board on May 12, 2010. The strike ended five days later when a tentative agreement (TA) was reached by the pilots and the company.

That TA is now a ratified contract with 96% of the eligible pilots voting and 74% approving the new agreement.

Captain Sean Creed, Spirit Master Executive Council Chairperson said in a press release, “This contract, and the strong vote that puts it into effect, is a direct result of this pilot group’s unwavering resolve.”

APFA President Laura Glading said, “Our congratulations go out to the Spirit Pilots, our union brothers and sisters, for their strength, commitment and solidarity in fighting for and obtaining their new contract.”

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FROM CONGRESS

Add Eddie Bernice Johnson (D) TX and Tim Bishop (D) NY to the growing list of Members of Congress showing support for our negotiations. Both representatives have sent letters to Gerard Arpey sharing their concerns over our protracted negotiations. All letters can be read on the Government Affairs page on the APFA.org site and by clicking here.

If you reside in either of these Representatives’ district, please send them a note thanking them for their support.

APFA PRESIDENT’S OP-ED PUBLISHED

Last week, an Op-Ed by APFA President Laura Glading was published in Aviation Daily, a news site dedicated to headlines from the world of aviation. President Glading’s Op-Ed was in response to an editorial by Air Transport Association President James May in which he argued that re-regulation is not the answer to the airline industry’s woes.

President Glading writes, “Our members have also experienced firsthand what are referred to as the “very human consequences” of deregulation, namely a staggering reduction in wages and benefits numbering in the billions of dollars that continues to undercut our standard of living.”

The article can be read in its entirety here.

UNITED HEALTHCARE LAWSUIT

While APFA is not party to the lawsuit, if you were covered by United Healthcare from March 15, 1994 through November 18, 2009 and did not receive a Summary Notice in the mail, or have questions pertaining to the lawsuit, please visit the Claims Administrator, Berdon Claims:

Website – www.berdonclaims.com
E-mail – [email protected]
Phone – 800-443-1073

RETIREMENT BRIEFINGS

The next APFA Retirement Briefings will be presented on August 16 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and August 17 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Yandry Center in DFW Terminal C.

These lively and informative briefings are conducted by APFA Retirement Specialist, Patrick Hancock (IDF) and Jackie Phillips (DFW). These seminars are open and useful to all Flight Attendants from all bases, but particularly important to Flight Attendants planning to retire in the next 10 years.

To make the most of these briefings, print and bring your personal pension estimate and plan calculation formulas from JetNet.

The AA Credit Union Investment & Retirement Advisors will be on hand to help explain more about retirement planning, and to schedule one-on-one interviews.

CONTRACT APP?

American touted the release of their iPhone app this week. In an interview with the Star-Telegram, Senior Vice President, Monte Ford said, “We started this iPhone app a long time ago.” Ford sated in the press release, “The app is the latest in a series of customer technologies we’ve introduced to help improve the customer experience, and…to dramatically improve our customer’s interaction with American.”

We started negotiating our contract a long time ago – over two years ago – with American.

Perhaps American could create and implement an app that would help the employee experience by improving our interaction with their negotiating team.

We could “swipe and tap” our way to a new contract.

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Remember there are 1,343 members on furlough and awaiting recall.
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The Wings Foundation is much more than can recycling, though that is an important source of the funds they distribute to members in need. If you are an active American Airlines Flight Attendant and you primary home has been destroyed, please contact WINGS Disaster Relief. Visit their website for fund raising activities, to find base representatives, forms for donation ($$$, PVDs, etc.), or applications for assistance. See how you can help at your base. Wings was created by and is managed exclusively by AA Flight Attendants. Wings provide services only to AA Flight Attendants. Check out Wings and all our APFA supported organizations through these links:

Wings // Airline Ambassadors // UNICEF/Change for Good