9.10.10 – (LAA) – Negotiations Update, 9/11, FAA Reauthorization Bill Call to Action, EC Meeting, Bedbugs, Lawsuit UPdate, United healthcare Lawsuit, Human Trafficking

Hello, this is APFA National Communications Coordinator, Jeff Pharr, with the Weekly Hotline update for Friday, September 10, 2010.

NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE

Your Negotiating Team will be in Dallas next week in final preparation for the meeting with our Federal Mediator, Pat Sims. Ms. Sims has asked that only APFAís table team attend this meeting the week of September 20, 2010 in Florida.

APFA President Laura Glading said, ìWe have been patient and awaited the results of the TWU votes as instructed by the NMB. Now that their members have spoken, it is time to turn the focus back to the Flight Attendants.î

In a Labor Day interview with the Star-Telegram, Glading stated, ìIn 2010, [AA] said we would all share in the gains and now all of a sudden they are reneging on that promise. We held up our end of the deal.î Glading continued, ìThere really isnít anywhere else to go in negotiations. Itís time for the company to come to the table or grant us a release.î

9/11

Tomorrow will mark the 9th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on our nation – an event that changed every one of our lives forever. There will be events around the country to pay tribute to our fallen friends and colleagues. A list of events we have been noticed of is on the APFA.org website.

One event will be in the DFW area at the site of the 9/11 Memorial in Grapevine, TX. Two ceremonies will take place; a “Lowering of the Flagí Ceremony at 7:30 a.m. and a Candlelight Vigil at 8:00 p.m. DFW based Flight Attendant and APFA Government Affairs Representative, Julie Frederick, will deliver a commencement speech at the evening ceremony. If you are in the DFW area, please plan to attend. Additional information is on the APFA.org website and by visiting www.911crewmemorial.org.

CALL TO ACTION!

The FAA Reauthorization Bill is currently stalled in the Senate. This bill contains provisions that will address and improve safety and health aspects of our work lives:

• Extends funding for the Flight Attendant fatigue study
• Provides OSHA protection to treat the aircraft as a work environment
• Air quality sampling
• Cabin temperature standards
• Bans the use of cell phones in-flight
• Closes a loop hole that permits smoking on charter flights

This bill could possibly be delayed ñ for the fifteenth time. We need this bill to pass now. Call or write your Senators today and tell them to ëPass the FAA Bill Now!í

Capwiz has been activated and can be accessed through the direct link, capwiz.com/apfa, or if you are on Facebook, visit facebook.com/apfaunity and click the ëTake Actioní tab at the top of the page. Both links are available to your family and non-airline friends too!

APFA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING

The second quarter APFA Executive Committee meeting will be held September 14-15, 2010 at APFA Headquarters. The meeting will begin at 09:30 on Tuesday, September 14, 2010. All members in good standing are welcome and encouraged to attend.

DON’T LET THE BEDBUGS BITE

Bed bugs have received a lot of attention lately as news outlets report their presence is on the rise, not only in hotelís, but also in movie theaters and nightclubs. The Hotel Department has asked that we relay some information about Bed Bugs and procedures for reporting.

If you feel you have been bitten by bed bugs or have seen bed bugs present in your hotel room, contact the hotel manager on duty immediately and discreetly notify him or her of the situation. Remember that bed bug bite symptoms are often delayed by a week or more. This means that unless you actually see the bed bug(s), you could have been bitten in any hotel that you stayed in up to two weeks prior. Any bed bug encounter should also be reported to APFA’s Hotel Department. Send and e-mail to [email protected] with details: hotel name, room number and hotel employee you spoke with, and what action was taken.

APFA National Hotel Coordinator, Kelly Gambello has written an article for Skyword Online, which includes details pertaining to bed bugs from renowned expert, Richard Cooper, Vice President of Bed Bug Central. The article can be read via the direct link to Skyword Online – index.php?&view=category&id=35

LAWSUIT UPDATE

APFA has prevailed in yet another frivolous lawsuit. District Judge, Catherine Perry, issued her final judgment this week in what was known as the Taylor lawsuit. In her judgment, Judge Perry wrote, “[APFA] shall have judgment in their favor and that the claims of the plaintiffs are dismissed with prejudice. Plaintiff shall bear all taxable costs of this action.”

UNITED HEALTHCARE LAWSUIT

We continue to receive calls regarding the United Healthcare Lawsuit. While APFA is not party to the lawsuit, if you were covered by United Healthcare anytime 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 contact the Claims Administrator, Berdon Claims, directly:

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

A MESSAGE FROM APFA MEMBER NANCY RIVARD

Dear APFA and Fight Attendant colleagues,

I learned about human trafficking last summer, after reading an article in Skyword and traveling in Cambodia. When our Airline Ambassador humanitarian team left the Dominican Republic, we correctly identified trafficking situations on THREE different airlines – I knew it was time to act. The Flight Attendants on each airline played an important role by simply communicating to the pilots and ground security. I realized that Flight Attendants, in most cases, simply weren’t aware of what action to take if they noticed a suspicious situation. This issue is not one only for American Airlines. Trafficking is occurring on hundreds of airplanes daily (Human Slavery is a burgeoning business of over $30B per year).

In May I met with Congressman Chris Smith, who authored legislation on Human Trafficking, and requested he coordinate a Briefing to Airline Partners. We conducted that Briefing on July 1, 2010.

I encouraged Lauri Curtis to take a pro-active role educating Flight Attendants as part of a commitment to corporate social responsibility. She came through by issuing the Bulletin, and committing to include this subject in our EPT’s. In as many ways as we all think AA could do things differently regarding the Flight Attendants, this is something they have done right.

We as Flight Attendants are not REQUIRED to do anything extra as part of these procedures, the Bulletin is simply an AWARENESS tool, giving important information if we encounter a suspicious situation on our flights. If you do this, hopefully your suspicions will be wrong, but by sharing important information with international security experts, you also may save a life.

Here is a link to a supplementary flier to give you more information. As part of our commitment to the issue, we have just finished construction on two Safe Houses in Belladare, Haiti, that will serve as shelters for children being trafficked. Thank you for your support of our work and our effort!

Nancy Rivard
Airline Ambassadors

APFA fully supports Nancy in her role as President of Airline Ambassadors International and her efforts to put an end to human trafficking. Nancy is a proud APFA member based at IMA.

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Please remember there are 1,342 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