7.29.11 – (LAA) – Recall Deadline, Glading Calls on Congress to End Government Shutdown, Layover Banking Safety, IOD Provider Changes, Improvements to Makeup Procedures, APFA App, JFK-HND Route Suspended, Delta Profits Announced, State of the Union Meetin

Weekly Hotline

For the week ending Friday, July 29, 2011

RECALL DEADLINE

Today, Friday, July 29 is the last day for the next 100 Flight Attendants on the recall list to return their acceptance form to FedEx. The company must receive the notice by Tuesday, August 2.

If you are included in this recall and you have not received your recall notice please immediately send an email to [email protected].

Please keep in mind there is not an option to bypass or defer recall.  If you fail to respond to the recall offer by the deadline then you will forfeit your recall rights.

Information related to the October recall is posted on the Recall page of the APFA website.

“STOP PLAYING POLITICS AND GET BACK TO GOVERNING”

APFA President Laura Glading called on Congress to end the standoff that has the American economy hanging in the balance.

The Union has been watching the debt ceiling debate very carefully knowing that our airline and the entire aviation industry would be gravely impacted by the United States defaulting on its debts.

In a recent press release Glading stated, “The brinksmanship being played by some of the obstructionists in Congress is dangerous and irresponsible.” Glading goes on to say, “Much of the traveling public isn’t even aware that the FAA is in a partial shutdown due to Congressional inaction. Furthermore, as my membership can tell you first hand, the economy is tough enough on the middle class already; we certainly don’t need to go into default. Our airline has been in a precarious financial state for years and I shudder to think what might happen to it if Congress can’t come to an agreement on this issue. The debt limit debate needs to be resolved quickly so our lawmakers can get back to governing.”

In the midst of the debt ceiling debate last week, Congress failed to pass a clean extension of the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization act, effectively shutting down much of the agency that governs air travel in the United States. The extension bill passed by the House, along straight party lines, included for the first time provisions that weakened organized labor and cut funding to the Essential Air Service program, which Senate Democrats would not agree to. Instead, the Senate has committed to passing a clean extension, but their efforts have been stalled by the ongoing debt ceiling debate.

The inability of Congress to either pass a clean bill or another extension has led to the furlough of 4,000 FAA employees and 70,000 constructions workers. This is a total of 74,000 American workers without paychecks this week.

The bill has been before Congress for four years and counting and has had 20 temporary extensions before it finally was allowed to expire last week.

We are monitoring this moment by moment and we are ready to act as soon as necessary.

MINDING YOUR DOLLARS AND CENTS

We continue to receive reports that crewmembers banking accounts have been compromised after using the ATMs in the lobby of the long GIG layover hotel.

Neither the local police nor bank authorities have been able to determine if the thieves are using a skimmer device or some other method to obtain the card number and PIN.

We urge you not to use the ATM in the lobby of the long GIG layover hotel until this issue has been resolved.

IOD PROVIDER CHANGES

EFFECTIVE 8/1/11:

American Airlines third party administrator for Workers’ Compensation will change from SRS to Sedgwick CMS. Continue to contact SRS at 1-800-348-9598 until 5:00PM Central 7/29/11.

Effective 8/1/2011, Sedgwick CMS will takeover all Work Comp claims administration services from Specialty Risk Services and CorVel. This transition includes all prior and new injuries.

In Texas the Work Comp Medical Provider Network will change from the CoreCare Network to the Southwest Medical Provider Network. Letters notifying all Texas based employees of this change were sent out on 7/15/11. Starting 8/1/11 please call 1-800-800-3795 to find a work comp network doctor if you are based in Texas.

In California the Work Comp Medical Provider Network will change from the CoreCare Network to the Harbor Health Medical Provider Network. †Letters notifying all California based employees of this change were sent out on 7/20/11. Starting 8/1/11 please call 1-800-625-6588 to find a work comp network doctor if you are based in California.

For members at all other bases that need to find a work comp network doctor after 8/1/11, please call 1-866-495-7844.

Beginning 8/1/11 members at all bases may also search for a work comp network doctor by logging on to https://www.viaoneprovidersearch.net.

IMPROVEMENTS TO MAKEUP PROCEDURES

Effective July 31, 2011, Make-Up (MU) procedures will be changing for flying originating on Aug 1, 2011. Here are few highlights:

-Crew Schedule will now attempt to call all FAs on the MU list, who search as legal and available regardless of option. This means you no longer have to change your option to qualify for MU flying.

-Crew Schedule will only attempt to call two numbers in the 1200 MU round. These two numbers are the ones in the “H” and “C” column of your HI1. The “T” number will not be called.

-FAs who are left a message during the 1200 MU proffer and do not return the call, will NOT be called during 1600 round of MU. You MUST call Crew Schedule and advise them if you’d still like to be called during the 1600 proffer.

– Please know first, that all current HISEND parameters are still in effect. If you are awarded a trip via HISEND message, prior to 1900 LBT, the trip will be considered confirmed. HISEND messages are NOT accepted for current day flying.

APFA hopes this will help streamline the process in an effort to reduce the number of crewmembers who believe they have been passed on MU.

The complete letter of agreement can be viewed under the Scheduling Department section of the APFA website.

APFA APP

Last week APFA announced the release of the APFA iPhone and iPad app. So far the reviews have been very positive.

This brilliant app developed by IOR Flight Attendant Alex Rodriguez allows flight attendants to determine legalities, access contract documents, and determine 2-for-1 calculations as well as a host of other day-to-day uses.

The app currently only works with iPhones and iPads and must be installed directly to these devices. Click here to install directly to your device.

The devices must be updated to at least version 4.0 and you must be a member in good standing to download the app.

We would again like to extend our thanks to Alex Rodriguez for volunteering his time and dedication to this project that simplifies the work lives of many Flight Attendants. Alex exemplifies the ingenuity and creativity of our Flight Attendants.

RUMOR CONTROL

The hot new rumor at IDF is that Flight Attendants will be moving to a new hotel near the EZE airport once the hotel opens its doors for business.

At this point the rumor is false. No such plans are in the works nor has this hotel even been contacted about crew business. When the current contract expires and once the hotel opens and if the hotel were interested in our business then your APFA Hotel Committee along with APA and AAs Hotel Contracts department would conduct a site visit.

A JOB WELL DONE

Earlier this week an altercation took place on AA flight 1755 from MIA to SFO. During the taxi out safety compliance check one of the Flight Attendants noticed that a passenger did not have his seatbelt fastened and that the passenger appeared to be either intoxicated or drugged. The Flight Attendant notified the Captain and the flight returned to the gate. Upon returning to the gate the passenger and his brother were escorted off of the aircraft. On the jetbridge the brothers got violent with crewmembers. The altercation resulted in the assault on a Flight Attendant and Pilot.

Thanks to the professionalism exhibited by our crewmembers and with the assistance of passengers, the assailants were subdued, detained and arrested.

SAYONARA HANEDA

This week the Department of Transportation allowed American a waiver to suspend JFK-HND flights until June 1, 2012.

An AMR statement says, “American plans to suspend its service to Haneda beginning in early September in an effort to help it offer service more in line with market demand, as Japan continues to recover from March’s earthquake and tsunami.”

DELTA PROFITS ANNOUNCED

This week Delta announced a $198 million second-quarter profit. Analysts had expected a much higher profit margin, however soaring fuel costs slashed profits by almost 58%.

THANK YOU, BUT WE’LL PASS ON THAT OFFER

This week AA presented TWU negotiators with an offer for fleet service clerks and other ground workers.

The TWU negotiators rejected the offer that was riddled with tradeoffs for current employees against future union jobs. It included an increase in outsourcing of cabin cleaning jobs at the major hubs as well as outsourcing fueling.

ON THE OTHER HAND WE’LL TAKE THIS OFFER

Tentative agreements were reached with TWU on behalf of the simulator technicians and simulator pilot instructor work groups. Combined the two groups have about 240 members.

The TAs will soon be presented to each membership for a vote.

There are currently 50,000 union represented employees on the property thereby leaving over 49,000 union members without contracts.

STATE OF THE UNION MEETINGS

APFA needs you to come and get informed by getting the truth. The meetings are an informative spotlight detailing where we currently are in negotiations and where we are headed as a Union.

No questions will go unanswered so please come prepared with a list of questions or rumors you would like addressed by APFA President Laura Glading, members of the Negotiating Team, National Representatives or your local Base Leadership.

The response we’ve received so far from Flight Attendants has been incredibly positive and many express their delight with the open candor of these meetings.

The meetings are open to all members in good standing. We look forward to seeing you there.

The remaining meeting dates are:

LGA/JFK – August 4, 2011 from 1100 – 1400
LaGuardia Marriott Hotel
102-05 Ditmars Blvd., East Elmhurst, NY 11369
718-565-8900

LAX/LAX-I – August 10, 2011 from 1000 – 1300
Ayres Hotel
14400 Hindry Avenue, Hawthorne, CA 90250
310-536-0400

SFO/SFO-I – August 11, 2011 from 1030 – 1330
Embassy Suites South SFO
250 Gateway Blvd, South, San Francisco, CA 94080
650-589-3400

DCA – August 17, 2011 from 1000 – 1300
Ramp Conference Room

STL – August 18, 2011 from 1100 – 1400
Renaissance Hotel
9801 Natural Bridge Road, St. Louis, MO 63134
314-429-1100

ORD/IOR – August 23, 2011 from 1300 – 1600
West Conference Room
O’Hare International Airport – Mezzanine Level

DFW/IDF – August 25, 2011 from 1000 – 1300
Yandry Center at DFW Airport across from Gate C2

—–
Please remember there are currently 319 members on furlough and awaiting recall.
—–