4.08.11 – (LAA) – Survey Regarding AA Management, Japan Earthquake, Senate to Stop GOP Attack on Union Organizing, We Are One

Weekly Hotline

For the week ending Friday April 8, 2011

20APR11

On Wednesday April 20, the day 800 plus managers are scheduled to once again receive undeserved bonuses, picketing and leafleting events will be held around the system to protest their insatiable greed. Scheduled time for these activities is 11:00-14:00 Local Base Time. Additional information is forthcoming, and you can contact your local Chairperson.

HOW’S AA MANAGEMENT DOING?

Tell us what is your opinion of the current AA Management Team. Take the survey posted on APFA.org and share your opinion. There is a free-from answer section to fully express how you feel. We will use the results in a campaign surrounding the events on April 20.

While overall percentages increased greatly, there were only a couple of changes in ranking from last week. Here are the current rankings by base of the percentage of Flight Attendants having taken the survey:

1. SLT – maintains the lead
2. BOS
3. SFO-I
4. LAX-I
5. BOS-I
6. ORD
7. DCA
8. LAX
9. SFO
10. IMA
11. IOR
12. DFW
13. IDF
14. MIA
15. LGA  moves up from seventeenth place
16. JFK
17. RDU-I  -slips from twelfth place

Log on and make sure your voice is heard and move your base to the top of the list. The survey has been extended through April 15.

JAPAN UPDATE

APFA has been in contact with AA SOC and our colleagues at APA regarding the status of our crews currently in NRT and the conditions at our NRT layover hotel and airport.

Yesterday’s event does not warrant any impact to our current Japan operations.

The Emergency Response Team has been brought back together. Here is some of the data we have so far.

• 7.1 magnitude quake, 250 miles NNE of Tokyo, offshore at the approximately the same location as the 8.9 in March.
• Occurred at approximately 09:45 CT (9:45p Tokyo time).
• AA has contacted airport operations at both NRT and HND. No reported damage, and airports are open and operating normally.
• We have contacted the crew layover hotels in Japan and both report no damage and no injuries.
• This is the 4th quake over 5.0 magnitude in NE Japan in the last 10 days: 6.5 mag 3/28, 6.3 mag 3/29, 5.0 mag 4/02, and 7.1 mag today.

APFA Safety and Security Department is continuously monitoring the situation in Japan. We will update you as conditions warrant.

JAPAN AID

Airline Ambassadors International (AAI) is sponsoring a Japan Relief Donation Drive during the month of April. AAI has teamed up with AFA, APFA, American, ANA, United, All Nippon, and Hawaiian to collect and transport much needed relief items to Japan.

Donation boxes will be available in each Base Operations.† We are asking all Flight Attendants to be involved in the effort by donating the requested items, volunteer time on one of the missions or donating to the Japan Relief Fund, which will go to purchase needed items in Tokyo and to the Flight Attendants living in Tokyo.

For more information and a list of items needed, please visit APFA.org.

STANDING UP FOR WORKERS’ RIGHTS

Here’s the latest news and information in this important battle.

—–On to Senate to stop GOP Attack on Union Organizing

Despite the tremendous Flight Attendant response to the “Strike Sec. 903” Call to Action last week, the anti-union Republican controlled House voted 220 to 206 against the amendment to remove the language from the FAA Reauthorization Bill.

The Sec. 903 language mandates the NMB to revert back to the old way of counting votes; marking workers who were eligible to vote, but did not cast a ballot, as a ënoí vote for union representation.† Last year the NMB changed the 75-year rule to count only votes that were actually cast in a union representation election – the only fair and democratic way to hold an election.

The Senate pledged to fight the House’s Sec. 903 provision when the two bills go to conference committee for reconciliation.† In addition, the White House says the President will veto the bill if the provision remains.

Be sure to check APFAís website and Facebook page to see how you can make sure this bill does not get signed into law.

—–April 4 ‘We Are One’ labor solidarity a Great Success

From Madison, WI, to Albuquerque, NM to Syracuse, NY, and Dallas, TX, the†April 4 National Day of Action in support of unions and working people was a great success across the United States. Hundreds of thousands union members, activists and community members gathered to mark the anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King in Memphis, Tenn., where he was organizing in support of striking sanitation workers.

Unions from all over Texas converged on the state capitol to protest draconian budget cuts that will eliminate tens of thousands of public sector union jobs.†

APFA Strike Administrator Patrick Hancock was there, and said, “The attacks on unions is not limited to private sector unions or public sector unions.† It is an attack against all of the progress that unions have brought to working men and women in this country.”

—–Upcoming Events

Please remember there are still plenty of We Are One events in the coming weeks and months. Please click here to find events near you.

April 28 marks Workers Memorial Day. This day was first observed in 1989 to mark the anniversary of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Please click here to learn more about Workers Memorial Day and how you can take part.

ARE YOU WITH SPRINT?

We’ve received several calls over the past two weeks with reports of calls to APFA either not being answered, or calls are answered but the caller cannot dial an extension.

After researching the issue, it appears the problem is only with callers on the Sprint Network.† Weíve tried contacting Sprint directly, but they will only initiate an analysis of the problem from Sprint customers.

If you are a Sprint customer and have experienced either of the problems referenced above, please contact Sprint Customer Service and report the problem.

As a temporary solution, dial *67 (private mode) prior to dialing APFA – this seems to alleviate the problem.

SFO RETIREMENT BRIEFING

Save the date! An APFA Retirement Briefing will be presented on May 9, 2011 from 10:30-13:30 at SFO – location to be determined.

APFA Retirement Specialist, Patrick Hancock (IDF) conducts these lively and informative briefings. The 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.

ON A LIGHTER NOTE

MIA Based Flight Attendant Darryl Hunter-Lenz will be featured on tonight’s episode of ëShark Tankí on ABC. Darryl will be presenting her invention, the Ride-on Carry-on, to potential investors.

We’re very excited to see one of our own featured on network television marketing her product. We wish Darryl the best of luck!

Tune in to “Shark Tank” tonight at 8/7c on ABC. Check local listings.

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Please remember there are currently 594 members on furlough and awaiting recall. This number includes all recalls as of July 1, 2011.