8.10.13 – (LAA) – Equity Claim, Out With The LBFO, ODCG 2013, Negotiations, Representation, Reserves AM/PM

APFA Hotline – Equity Claim, Out With The LBFO, ODCG 2013, Negotiations, Representation, Reserves AM/PM

 

More Details About Our Equity Claim
APFA, along with our financial experts have worked hard over the past several months ironing out the details of our equity claim distribution. This claim, which was negotiated last summer and will be distributed in shares of stock in the new American, will be worth a significant sum to our members due to the anticipated value of AA on exit from bankruptcy.

Friday, AA mailed letters to all unionized employees containing instructions for filling out a W-9 form online. It is important that each recipient fills out the W-9 to avoid “backup withholding.” In other words, AA will withhold taxes from everyone on distribution, and if a W-9 is not on file, another round of withholding taxes will be deducted.

The letter from AA states: “If you do not complete the online version of Form W-9 with Computershare, it will be required to withhold at an additional 28 percent tax rate from any proceeds received in respect of the sale of shares in your Computershare account.” Members have until August 23 to complete the form.

Beginning on Wednesday, August 14th, BMC, the company APFA has retained to facilitate the distribution process, will host a web site – and later a call center – to respond to FA questions. Stay tuned to this hotline for more information.

Out With the LBFO/In With the CLA
Not only will AA’s exit from Chapter 11 signify the payout of our equity claim, it also marks the end of our short-lived bankruptcy Agreement as we prepare to negotiate. At the point AA emerges from bankruptcy, we transition to the Conditional Labor Agreement (CLA aka US Airways Bridge Agreement) negotiated in Spring ’12).

With that, APFA met with management again this week to continue finalizing the implementation schedule of our CLA such as the start date of our new 401(k) contributions, pay protection, etc. Once the schedule is firm, we will post to this hotline.

ODCG 2013
APFA is in the process of completing the new On-Duty Contract Guide, as well. This guide will be invaluable to FAs as we move to a new and improved set of work rules very soon. This new guide will be a complete ODCG that will entirely replace both the 2004 guide and the amended guide published late last year containing LBFO updates.

Negotiations
APFA’s Negotiating Team is in place and preparing internally to bargain for our post-bankruptcy contract. This contract will combine the best of both the AA and US Airways’ FA Agreements going forward. The structure of these negotiations is meant to promote an expeditious path to the contract we so deserve – one that matches the new American’s strength and profitability. There has been a lot to learn from the bankruptcies that came before us. Most importantly, we know that limiting the amount of time we spend under a contract negotiated in bankruptcy translates to money in the pockets of our members. That is why our expedited path to a new contract is so vitally important.

As we reported on previous hotlines, both the APFA and AFA-CWA’s leadership are committed to the process of securing a consensual representation agreement that puts flight attendants first at the new American. Once these discussions are finalized, we will announce the outcome and subsequent process on this Hotline. Meanwhile, do not buy into rumors that say otherwise. If you have questions, please email [email protected].

Reserves: AM/PM
APFA is pleased to see that FAs are able to take advantage of the AM/PM option more and more while on Reserve. If you have any questions about the process, please click here to review the Reserve Status Chart. This chart addresses the type of assignment, time period of the assignment and whether the FA must be available to Crew Scheduling following their AM/PM Reserve Assignment.

Final Group of VEOP FAs Depart in September
There are 611 flight attendants leaving under the VEOP in September 2013. This is probably the largest number of employees to leave American Airlines in a single month of our company’s history. Due to the large number of people leaving under the VEOP in September, all of the transition items for that group will be very slow. It will take 5-15 days for Retiree Travel, and retiree access to JetNet to get turned on. Retirees will be limited to D2 travel until retiree travel is turned on and will not have full retiree access to JetNet until then.

Fortunately, retirees will have JetNet access to the Non-Rev Travel Planner for your D2 travel in the interim. AA has said it could take up to 12 weeks before October pension checks are mailed, to those eligible for an October pension payment. Plan on being patient, and contact HR if you have special travel needs (D1 or D3) during the gap right after retirement and prior to your retiree travel portion of JetNet is activated.

@apfa.org vs @aa.com
Some of our APFA Reps have discovered emailed questions from the membership delivered to their aa.com<http://aa.com/> email address by mistake. Please be sure that when you email an APFA rep for any reason, that you use the @apfa.org address.

AmericanAirlines + US Airways 
“On Our Way”

Leslie Mayo
APFA National Communications Coordinator