8.05.11 – (LAA) – Congress Reaches Compromise to End Government Shutdown, Frontier FAs Agree to Terms of CBA, Manual Audits, Extreme Heat at Recurrent Training, IOD Provider Changes, Improvements to Makeup Procedures, Retirement Briefings, Traffic Increas

Weekly Hotline

For the week ending Friday, August 5, 2011

CONGRESS REACHES COMPROMISE – FOR NOW

A bipartisan compromise was reached between the House of Representatives and the Senate to end the partial shutdown of the FAA.

The shutdown resulted in the furlough of over 4,000 FAA employees and tens of thousands of contract workers.

“I am encouraged by the Senate’s ability to put politics aside for the sake of getting people back to work,” said APFA President Laura Glading. “Unfortunately, this short term deal will only get us so far. It kicks a very delicate can just six weeks down the road and our union is gearing up for another tough legislative battle for workersí rights after Labor Day. I would like very much to see a long-term bill come out of this drama, but certainly not at the expense of organized labor. I call on Chairman Mica to take a more thoughtful stance on the NMB provision as he works to pass a permanent FAA reauthorization or long-term extension.”

Sticking points included special interest politicking brought about by Delta Airline Executives over the way in which votes for unionization are counted as well as subsidy cuts to the Essential Air Service program.

The temporary extension only lasts until September 16, 2011 and will need to again be dealt with by Congress upon their return from the August recess.

The FAA has not been formally authorized on a long-term basis with a full bill since September 30, 2007.

APFA issued a press release today praising the work of President Obama, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt and key Senators including Reid, Baucus, and Hutchison for their work in reaching a short-term deal to reauthorize the FAA yesterday. To read the full press release please click here.

FRONTIER FLIGHT ATTENDANTS AGREE TO TERMS OF CBA

Earlier this week AFA announced that is has reached a deal with Frontier Airlines management on terms for a collective bargaining agreement for the nearly 1,000 Flight Attendants at that airline.

Once the document is completed it will include existing work rules as well as scope language, seniority language and grievance procedures.

The union and company also crafted a plan to aid the company in its cost-cutting restructuring. In return for almost $16 million in adjustments to vacation and sick accrual as well as pay changes and a suspension of 401(K) match through 2015 the Flight Attendants will receive equity in the airline and will be eligible to participate in Frontier’s profit sharing program.

FROM THE SAFETY AND SECURITY DEPARTMENT

ATTENTION!! NEW MANUAL BULLETINS DUE BY AUGUST 10, 2011!! DON’T GET CAUGHT WITH AN OUT-OF-DATE MANUAL!

Bulletins:	#3 date = 10AUG11
	#4 date = 10AUG11

All new revisions and bulletins are to be inserted into our in-flight manuals on or by their due date before working any flight on that same date.

We continue to fall short of meeting†100% compliance with our in-flight manuals and the FAA is beginning to reach their limit on†patience with our workgroup.

Please ensure your manual is up-to-date before you work any of your flights.

The only way to ensure your manual has all the required and correctly dated pages is to verify each page†by cross checking with the latest List of Effective Pages (LEP).

Revisions and Bulletins should be available at all base Flt Svc Operation areas. If manual†revisions and/or bulletins are not available at†a base please notify the local MOD immediately and submit a report to Cabin ASAP.

If you are caught with an out of date manual, please submit a report immediately within 24 hrs to Cabin ASAP to possibly avoid any punitive action taken by Flt Svc and/or any civil penalty by the FAA.

The latest manual revision and bulletin information can be found on the Flt Svc web site and the APFA web site under the Safety/Security Dept.

Here is the latest manual revision/bulletin due in our in-flight manuals:

Revision:	†#77†date =†3JUN11
Bulletins:	#95 date = 4MAR11
	#1 date = 15APR11
	#2 date = 13MAY11
	*(#3 date = 10AUG11)
	*(#4 date = 10AUG11)

EXTREME HEAT AT RECURRENT TRAINING

Dallas has experienced over 30 days in a row of temperatures over 100 degrees. As a result the area of the Flight Academy that houses our trainers is hot and muggy due to the lack of an air conditioning system.

The APFA Safety and Security department has worked diligently to address this issue with the company and a temporary solution has been reached until an air conditioning system can be installed in that portion of the building this winter.

The glass doors between the main building and the trainer area will be removed to assist in air flow, special fans that “suck in” hot air and circulate cool air have been installed and ice water will be provided free of charge.

Please keep APFA posted on the conditions you experience while at the Flight Academy by sending an e-mail to [email protected].

IOD PROVIDER CHANGES

EFFECTIVE 8/1/11:
American Airlines third party administrator for Workers’ Compensation changed from SRS to Sedgwick CMS.†

Effective 8/1/2011, Sedgwick CMS took over 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 changed 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. From now on 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 changed 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. Effective 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 please call 1-866-495-7844.

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 changed 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 ìHî and ìCî column of your HI1.† The ìTí 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 youíd 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.

UPCOMING RETIREMENT BRIEFINGS

APFA Retirement Specialist Patrick Hancock will be hosting retirement briefings on the following dates:

DFW

August 22, 1000-1200
August 23, 1800-2000
Yandry Center across from gate C-2

JFK

September 20, 1200-1400
Location TBD

LGA

September 21, 1200-1400
Location TBD

SFO

September 26, 1000-1200
Location TBD

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.

TRAFFIC INCREASES

Have the planes seemed a bit more full to you lately?

This week American announced that traffic increased by 1.7 percent in the month of July over traffic for the same time period last year.

The company states that the boost is from an increased demand for international travel as well as summer vacation travel which has led to an occupancy rate of 87.7 percent.

KNOWN CREWMEMBER PILOT PROGRAM

On August 9th the TSA will launch a 90-day test of the Known Crewmember (KCM) screening program at ORD. MIA airport will be added to the test on August 23rd with additional airports being added incrementally as the test proceeds.

At this time the KCM only applies to Pilots, however, both APFA and AA have urged the TSA to include Flight Attendants and will continue to urge the inclusion of both work groups.

9/11 MEMORIAL ACTIVITIES

On Sunday, September 11th the 911 Memorial Foundation in conjunction with APFA, APA, the Grapevine Fire and Police Departments and the Lake Grapevine Runners and Walkers Club will host memorial activities.

The day will commence at 0730 with the lowering of the flag and will finalize at 1930 with a memorial program.

The events will take place at the 911 Flight Crew Memorial Site located at 1000 Texan Trail and Northwest Highway, Grapevine, Texas 76051.

If you know of any 9/11 events taking place in your area please send them to us at [email protected] for inclusion on the APFA website.

WOUNDED WARRIOR CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT

The Wounded Warrior Charity Golf Tournament will be held on September 17th at Iron Horse Golf Course in North Richland Hills, Texas.

This inaugural event will benefit the Salute Military Golf Association (SMGA) that provides rehabilitative golf experiences for combat-wounded veterans.

If you would like to take place in this event please click here for more information and a registration form.

DFW FO Glenn Rosenberger and his son Matt established this event.

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:

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 ñ 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 ñ 1600
West Conference Room
O’Hare International Airport – Mezzanine Level

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

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Please remember there are currently 219 members on furlough and awaiting recall.
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