11.18.11 – (LAA) – Remember November, Negotiations, STL Vice Chairperson Elections Results, National Officer WTS, ELOA, Benefits Verification, United Healthcare Lawsuit Settlement, Uniform Points

Remember November

Today, November 18th, we pay homage to our fellow Flight Attendants who stood against corporate tyranny and staged the most successful strike in airline history.

To all of the “nice, cheery rebels” we salute you as we Remember November and vow to remain united in our fight to protect our profession.

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Weekly Hotline

For the week ending Friday, November 18, 2011

We know many of you have been closely following the swirl of media attention surrounding the ongoing Pilot negotiations and we understand many of you have questions and concerns.

AMR has reiterated that bankruptcy is neither the company’s goal nor its preference, and it is committed to improving its financial performance.

We want to assure you that APFA has been watching these issues closely, is in regular contact with all the parties involved, and is prepared to face the challenges of every eventuality no matter how remote. We will continue to protect the best interest of our membership and do everything in our power to ensure that your voice is heard. We will not stop until management has met our commitment to reaching an agreement on terms of a new contract.

Some of these reports have suggested that you, the hardworking American employees, are to blame for AMR’s fiscal difficulties. We disagree. And media and analysts that cover the issue closely are beginning to agree. Fort Worth reporter Andrea Ahles cited analyst Vicki Bryan as saying, “The main culprit, however, has not been AMR’s labor costs. It was spiking fuel expense, which is up 187 percent from $2.8 billion per year in 2003 to the current $7.96 billion,” Bryan wrote.

Ahles went on to say, “Bryan told investors that AMR’s top executives are receiving compensation packages worth 10 times their base pay and are earning more than the top executives at United Continental and are close to Delta Air Lines’ executive pay. Those two airlines are posting consistent profits.”

Dallas Morning News reporter Terry Maxon, this week cited airline analyst Daniel McKenzie’s findings that AMR’s fiscal issues relate more to fuel costs and its network and revenue strategy than labor costs. Click hereto read more. Earlier this month reporter Ted Reed, writing for The Street.com, reported that AMR has overstated the labor gap and that convergence has already arrived for American Flight Attendants. Click hereto read the article.

NEGOTIATIONS
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Many Flight Attendants have contacted APFA headquarters requesting an update on the progress of FA negotiations. Currently there is nothing to report as Americanís sole focus for in-flight crew negotiations is currently with the Pilots. We will keep you updated once we return to the negotiations table.

STL VICE CHAIRPERSON ELECTION RESULTS
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On Thursday, November 17, 2011 the National Ballot Committee certified the results of the STL Vice Chairperson election.

Jacob (Jay) Fuller was elected Base Vice Chairperson. Jacob (Jay) Fuller received 50 votes and Oscar Gomez received 26 votes for a total of 76 votes. Jacob (Jay) Fuller will assume office immediately for the remainder of the two-year term ending March 31, 2013.

NATIONAL OFFICER WTS
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The Notification of Willingness to Serve (WTS) for the positions of APFA President ñ APFA Vice President ñ APFA Secretary – 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.

ELOA
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Educational Leaves of Absence are being offered for the Spring 2012 term.

Ballots are available on the Flight Service website and will close at 1000 CT on Monday, November 28, 2011. Enrollment verification is due to the FA Service Center by Friday, December 16, 2011.

BENEFITS VERIFICATION
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Now is the time to review your 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

UNITED HEALTHCARE LAWSUIT SETTLEMENT

We have received numerous calls regarding the United Healthcare Lawsuit Settlement. APFA is not party to the lawsuit settlement. If you have questions regarding the settlement please direct them to Berdon Claims:

Website – www.berdonclaims.com
Phone – 877-536-7981

UNIFORM POINTS

As the end of the year nears the deadline to use your 2011 uniform points is approaching. Please place your order for uniform items as soon as possible so that you don’t miss the deadline.

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