11.11.11 – (LAA) – Flight 587 Memorial/Anniversary, FA Leave Options, Benefits Verification, National Officer WTS, STL Ballots, Qantas Day of Action, Uniform Points, Layover Safety

Weekly Hotline

For the week ending November 11, 2011

FLIGHT 587 MEMORIAL/ANNIVERSARY

Saturday, November 12 will mark the 10th anniversary of the demise of Flight 587.

There will be a memorial table set up in JFK Ops. If you are going to be at JFK airport please stop by the table to view pictures and share memories of our fallen colleagues.

On Saturday, November 12 two ceremonies will be held at the Flight 587 Memorial in Queens, New York.

The first ceremony begins at 0900 and is open to the public. A moment of silence will be observed at 0916 and the program will include a reading of the names, an invocation and music and will conclude at approximately 1000.

The second ceremony will include members of APFA, APA, Flight Service and Flight and will begin at 1500. The group will lay wreaths in commemoration and an ode to the crew of Flight 587 will be read.

The 587 Memorial is located at Beach 116th Street and Rockaway Boulevard in Belle Harbor, Queens.

Memorial wristbands are available for purchase. These handsome wristbands are silver gray with navy blue lettering and read “We Remember 587” on the front and ìJFK 9î on the back. The proceeds will go to the maintenance of the 587 Memorial.

The minimum donation to purchase a band is $1.00 but greater donations will be accepted and are appreciated. Please see the MOD office at JFK or LGA or contact JFK Council Representative Jessica Washington at [email protected]. All are welcome to purchase a band not just New York area Flight Attendants. There are a limited number of wristbands available. If you would like to simply make a donation please contact Jessica Washington.

In Memoriam
FA Deborah Fontakis
FA Barbara Giannasca
FA Wilmer Gonzalez
FA Joseph Lopes
FA Michele Mills
FA Carol Palm
FA William Valdespino
Captain Ed States
First Officer Sten Molin

FA LEAVE OPTIONS

Three-month voluntary leaves and modified partnership flying†for the months of January through March 2012 are being offered.

Ballots are available on the Flight Service website and will close at 1500 CT on Wednesday November 16, 2011.†

Additional information is also available on the Flight Service Website and on the Contract page of APFA.org. The APFA website has also been updated with an HISK example for those considering Modified Partnership Flying.

BENEFITS VERIFICATION
[email protected]

Now is the time to review you benefits elections for 2012.

Visit Benefits Service Center and click Enrollment Review to confirm your choices for 2012. It’s an opportunity to make certain that the elections you made in October were entered correctly so that you can be sure to have the coverage you need for yourself and your family.

If you enrolled a new dependent for your medical coverage, or added additional Life Insurance or Disability coverage during enrollment, be sure to submit any necessary Statements of Health or Proof of Eligibility documents to ensure you both have the coverage you want for 2012.

The correct “Statement of Health” for the OSTD or LTD coverage is listed under forms in the benefits section of Jetnet as the Disability Enrollment Form. The form listed as Statement of Health is required if you want to increase your voluntary life insurance coverage.

• Life or disability statements of health: send form to MetLife by Nov. 30
• Dependent proof of eligibility: send documents to HR Services by Dec. 30

NATIONAL OFFICER WTS
[email protected]

The Notification of Willingness to Serve (WTS) for the positions of APFA President ñ APFA Vice President ñ APFA Secretary ñ APFA Treasurer have been mailed to all members.

APFA Secretary Denise Pointerís article from the most recent Skyword Express outlines the duties of the four National Officer positions.† For more detailed information on the positions, please see the APFA Constitution and APFA Policy Manual available for download on APFA.org.

If you are interested in further serving your union, the form must be received in the designated PO Box by 1000 CT, November 30, 2011.

An Election Notice and a Notification of Willingness-to-Serve (WTS) for the National Officer elections was recently mailed to your home. Although the WTS accurately states that it is for the National Officer positions of President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer, the Instructions section of the Election Notice mistakenly referred to candidates who wish to run for other offices. The error has been corrected and the revised version of the Election Notice is now posted on APFA.org.  However, the original WTS is still valid, and will be accepted. If you wish to view the updated version of the Election Notice, you can download it by clicking here.

STL BALLOTS
[email protected]

Ballots for the position of STL Vice Chairperson were mailed to all members based in STL on October 18, 2011.† Ballots must be cast by 1000 CT on Thursday November 17, 2011.

If you need a duplicate ballot, or have questions, please contact the National Ballot Committee at [email protected].

QANTAS DAY OF ACTION

On Wednesday, November 16, the ITF is calling on aviation affiliates worldwide to show solidarity with the workers and families of Australian airline Qantas, who are in an on-going dispute over outsourcing, job security and pay.

APFA will participate by leafleting along with TWU at DFW and LAX airports on Thursday, November 16.

The leafleting will take place at the Qantas terminal in each city from 1300 to 1400 Central time and from 1100 to 1200 Pacific. We look forward to seeing you there as we show our support for our Australian colleagues!

Australian workers, represented by ITF affiliates including the Australian & International Pilots’ Association (AIPA), Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers’ Association and Transport Workers Union (TWU) have been pressing for guarantees on quality jobs, job security and fair wages while Qantas is potentially looking to cut labor costs by outsourcing overseas.

Please Email Qantas CEO Alan Joyce about your objections to the appalling treatment of Qantas employees.

The FAA will conduct random inflight manual audits the week of November 14 – 18. The audits may occur in any city at any time and will include both Domestic and International operations.

Please review your manuals to ensure that they are up to date. The number one infraction during previous audits has been the failure to remove out of date bulletins.

The current manual revision is #79 and the current bulletins are three (3) through five (5).

UNIFORM POINTS

As the end of the year nears deadline to use your 2011 uniform points is approaching. Please place your order for uniform items as soon as possible so that you donít miss the deadline.

LAYOVER SAFETY

As crewmembers, maintaining our safety should always be our top priority. Here are some tips that may help:

• Know the name of your hotel and how to get there before leaving your domicile. Appearing lost or confused in a public place can make you a target for crime.
• Stay together ñ avoid going out alone.
• At the hotel, keep luggage in your possession or secured at all times. Place valuables in a hotel or in-room safe or, better yet, leave them at home.
• Do not mention room numbers in the presence of other hotel guests. If hotel staff announces your room number so others can hear, request another room assignment. Try to have rooms assigned close to other crewmembers.
• Take note of the number of fire exits and where they are located.
• Prior to closing the door when you enter your room, have a fellow crewmember wait while you inspect the room and use your suitcase to prop the door open. Otherwise, have hotel security or other staff escort you to your room and wait while you inspect it. Check closets, under beds, behind drapes, and the bathroom. Ensure the phone is working and that you can directly dial 911 or the local emergency number.
• Once inside your room, use all available door and window locks. If any are broken or inoperable, request another room. Place the “Do Not Disturb” sign on your door and your room key and flashlight at the bedside.
• If someone knocks on your door, ask them to identify themselves and look through the peep hole. If it is a hotel employee, consider calling the front desk to verify their identity before allowing them inside.
• If it is necessary for anyone to enter your room unannounced, hotel protocol industry-wide calls for the presence of at least two persons, at least one of the same gender.
• When away from your room turn on the TV or radio to a minimal volume that can be heard from outside your door.
• Travel in numbers to areas that are confirmed as safe by the hotel concierge or front desk staff. If you do go out by yourself, tell someone where you are going and when you plan to return or leave a note of your intended plans in your room by the phone.
• Do not dress in a way that draws attention or wear expensive jewelry.
• Carry a personal ID and cell phone.
• Be aware of your surroundings.

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Please remember there are currently 218 members on furlough and awaiting recall.
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