2.18.11 – (LAA) – Negotiations Update, Wisconsin, Recall Update, FAA Reauth Update, Vacation Bidding, Bids Close Early, Base Representative Elections

NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE

As reported earlier this week, at the request of the National Mediation Board (NMB), APFA President Laura Glading, along with members of the APFA Negotiating Team, traveled to Washington to meet with the three board members.

Laura Glading commented on the meeting,

I once again shared our frustrating struggle with the NMB, this time directly to the three Board Members. This membership is hurting and has been beyond patient.†We need real money on the table. The company needs to quit stalling and present a contract that the Flight Attendants deserve and with the gains promised in 2003.

The NMB will continue to review our case. Further updates will be sent via this hotline.

WISCONSIN

Apparently, there is more than one way to destroy collective bargaining other than for an employer to engage in a three year stall. For state employees in Wisconsin, Ohio and Indiana their governors are leading a charge to simply legislate away their labor contracts and their right to bargain.

The AFL-CIO website lists several ways we can support their efforts. They offer an image that can be used for your Facebook and Twitter profiles, a statement to post as your Facebook status, and you may also add a statement of support on their Facebook page.

SURVEY

Last week’s hotline mentioned an upcoming membership opinion survey. We plan to have the survey posted on APFA.org early next week. APFA hears daily the frustration of our members with this company. It’s time American hears it directly from you. We are asking every member to participate. It will be difficult, even for these executives, to ignore the opinions of 18,000 Flight Attendants.

RECALL UPDATE
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Recall notices were sent to the 147 most senior Flight Attendants on the recall list on Monday, February 14, 2011.†These notices were sent via 2-day FedEx.†The company must receive the notice no later than Tuesday, March 1, 2011. The deadline to return your acceptance notice to a FedEx location using the enclosed 2-day FedEx envelope is February 25, 2011.

If you have not yet received your recall notice, please send an email to [email protected].

The Recall page on APFA.org has been updated with information and several documents including a Q&A document.† As information becomes available, including further details on the additional recalls announced this morning, we will update the Recall page.

FAA REAUTH UPDATE

Wednesday was a busy day on Capitol Hill.

Our newest advocate for Flight Attendants is Congresswoman Mazie Hirono (D-HI) from the great state of Hawaii. Ms. Hirono spoke before the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee with great knowledge and compassion, urging the committee to pass with unanimous consent two resolutions ñ OSHA Protections and Flight Attendant Fatigue.

Unfortunately, the committee did not pass either amendment.

Take a look at the roll call vote. It†speaks for itself. Ms. Hirono’s remarks on both resolutions along with the roll-call votes can be read here.

APFA President Laura Glading is sending letters to each member of the committee either thanking them for their support or expressing our disappointment if they voted against the measures.

APFA President Laura Glading said, “I find it incredible, to say the least, that some of our elected officials do not seem to have a concern about the health and safety of the traveling public and crew members on airplanes every day for work, for pleasure and to see loved ones.”

Glading continued, “Thousands of our members e-mailed and called their Senators when the FAA Bill was presented this past September. It’s time to take action again. We need every member – including those that were activists in September – to send a message.”

Please call your Senator today! Or send a letter via our Capwiz page or you may also Take Action via our Facebook page. Tell them we need a safe workplace that will provide basic health and safety protections for our passengers and Flight Attendants.

VACATION BIDDING

The Primary round of vacation bidding opened on Tuesday of this past week.†Primary vacation bidding will close on Monday, March 7 at 08:00 Central Time.†You can find detailed information on Vacation bidding in the letter posted on the Crew Resources page of the Flight Service website.†If you accrued less than 7 days, you can still submit a ballot.†However, your ballot will not be considered until after all Flight Attendants that accrued 7 or more days of vacation have had their primary and secondary bids awarded.† The system will only accept a ballot for those that accrued less than 7 days during the primary round of bidding.

BIDS CLOSE EARLY

Please note that bidding closes earlier than usual this month. Bidding will close at 00:01 Local Base Time on Sunday, February 20, 2011.

BASE REPRESENTATIVE ELECTIONS
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Voter packets for the Base Representative Elections were mailed on January 26, 2011 to the members of the following bases: BOS, IOR, LGA and MIA. Included in the packet along with voting instructions are the Candidate Information Sheets for your base. Candidate information may also be viewed and printed via the Elections and Balloting page of APFA.org.

Should you have questions or do not receive your ballot in a timely manner, please contact the National Ballot Committee at [email protected].

Polls for the Base Representative Elections will close at 10:00 a.m. CT on Friday, February 25, 2011.

As a reminder, you must be dues current by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 22, 2011 in order to vote in this election. If you have any questions concerning your eligibility, please contact the dues department at 817-540-0108 ext. 8151, or email [email protected].

OFFICE CLOSURE

APFA Headquarters will be closed on Monday, February 21, 2011 in observance of President’s Day. The office will reopen on Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 09:00 CT.

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Special Hotline Update – 200 Additional Recalls

February 18, 2011

Two hundred American Airlines Flight Attendants are headed back to work, over and above the 368 announced last week.

The new deal brings back 100 Flight Attendants currently on furlough by July 15, 2011. A second group of 100 will be back by October 15, 2011. In addition, the 228 furloughed Flight Attendants remaining on the recall list will get unlimited recall rights. Many in this group were expected to fall off the furlough list on November 1, 2011. The agreement will allow American to hire up to 30 new Flight Attendants who speak Chinese Mandarin (CM), with some restrictions. These flight attendants, to be based in the LAX-I, will staff routes to Shanghai China (PVG).

The APFA Board of Directors convened in DFW this week and overwhelmingly approved a resolution that states in part, “WHEREAS, obtaining the guaranteed recall of 200 additional Flight Attendants and unlimited recall rights in exchange for agreeing that the Company can hire up to 30 speakers as described above is in the overall best interest of APFA and our membership;

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Board of Directors, on a non-precedential basis, agrees to allow the Company to hire up to 30 Mandarin speakers for LAX-I, with the restrictions described to the Board, in exchange for the recall of an additional 200 furloughed Flight Attendants and the granting of unlimited recall rights to those who will still be in furlough status.”

The full resolution can be read here.

The restrictions of the new-hire CM speakers will include:

• Occupational seniority will be junior to any Flight Attendant currently employed or currently on furlough status
• Will not cause a long-term Reduction in Force (RIF) or involuntary monthly Fall-off from LAX-I
• Will not be permitted to transfer out of LAX-I until all Flight Attendants currently on the furlough list have been recalled
• If the LAX-PVG route is discontinued while there are any furloughed Flight Attendants remaining on the recall list, the new-hire CM speakers will be furloughed

The full agreement can be read here. The Recall Extension agreement can be read here.

“This is tremendous news,”said APFA President Laura Glading. “This is what we do as a union – protect jobs. I am extremely happy that even more people will be back to work. People who’ve been struggling for a long time will be given a chance to better support their families. I look forward to welcoming everyone on the recall list back to work, and this agreement will permit that to happen.

This is a good step for us,” Glading continued. “It clearly addresses stagnation and seniority movement among our members. Hopefully this can be a springboard to finally complete a new collective bargaining agreement.”

The APFA thanks Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-MO) for the support he provided both parties in reaching this agreement.