10.04.13b – (LAA) Merger Update, Seniority Integration, Roadshows, Scheduling and Reserve

APFA Hotline – Merger Update, Seniority Integration, Roadshows, Scheduling and Reserve – October 4, 2013

 

Merger Update
APFA President Laura Glading along with LAX-I Base Chair David Ransom and Beth Kilcran, APFA Division Representative met with Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne on Thursday in his office. General Horne was generous with his time and seemed genuinely interested in what we had to say. He requested we forward follow-up information to support the fact that AA and US Airways cannot compete against Delta and United as standalone companies and we are in the process of providing that information to him. 
 
On the heels of the TX State Attorney General Greg Abbott’s withdrawal of support in the DOJ’s lawsuit, APFA has issued two press releases in as many days demanding that the Attorneys General from Virginia and Florida follow suit. We will continue to pressure the participants of this lawsuit in our continued efforts to see this merger through to completion.
 
Click on the links below to read some of the latest news regarding the antitrust case:

APFA Press Release: AA Flight Attendants Demand Florida AG Withdraw From Merger Lawsuit – 10.04.13
APFA Press Release: AA Flight Attendants Demand Virginia Att’y General Withdraw from Merger Suit – 10.03.13
Arizona AG Remains Firm on Antitrust Lawsuit; While AA FA Try To Budge Virginia’s AG – 10.03.13
Live video with clips of Abbott and Horton; interview with Julie Frederick and APA VP Neil Roghair (CBS 11 News, Dallas) – 10.01.13
Texas Attorney General drops out of AA merger lawsuit (USA Today) – 10.01.13
Texas Drops Opposition to AMR-US Airways Merger (The Wall Street Journal) – 10.01.13
AMR Judge Issues Order Denying U.S. Request for Halt to Case (Bloomberg) – 10.01.13
 
For an extensive summary of the ongoings with the DOJ case, click here.
 
AA/US Seniority Integration Process
A question that still pops up every now and then is how the seniority lists will be integrated once our companies are combined. Here is the response Laura gave in a recent interview published on this Hotline: 
 
Question:  How will the seniority lists be integrated?
LG:  Our seniority lists will be integrated based on date of occupational seniority (which is called “date of hire” at US Airways). The only adjustment will be to ensure that American Flight Attendants get credit for initial training – as US Airways Flight Attendants do. APFA has done an enormous amount of research to determine the average number of days American Airlines Flight Attendants spent in training. We will be coming up with a number of days to adjust the seniority of American Flight Attendants to put them on an even footing with US Airways Flight Attendants. No changes will be made to APFA members’ seniority in relation to each other – what is referred to as ‘relative seniority.’
 
Negotiating Team Base Visits Starting in October
As we announced last week, Laura Glading and the new APFA negotiating team, along with APFA representatives and advisors will embark on system wide roadshows later this month. Location information will be published as the dates draw closer. Please note – dates are subject to change. All meetings will start at 11:00 a.m. local base time except for the SFO meeting, which will begin at 10:00. The meetings are scheduled for three hours but as is the practice when Laura hits the road, the meetings won’t end until all questions are answered.
 
DFW—October 22
11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
 
RDU—October 28
11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
 
STL—October 30
11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
 
DCA—October 31
11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
 
LAX—November 5
11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
 
SFO—November 6
10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
 
JFK—November 12
11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
 
MIA—November 13
11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
 
ORD—November 19
11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
 
BOS—November 20
11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
 
SCHEDULING
AM/PM
Beginning October 8, 2013, the AM/PM Option will also be available for SFO, BOS and JFK. This means that you will submit your ballot on the 7th for an AM/PM slot on the 8th, and so on. 
For now, AM/PM awards will be processed manually until AA’s computers are   programmed to accommodate this new procedure system wide. Information explaining the details of the AM/PM option and ballot is available on www.apfa.org.  Click here, then scroll to Reserve and click on the appropriate links. It is important to note that when AM is awarded, the tape states simply that the FA is released until 2358. This does not mean the FA is released for the entire day. It means that the FA is released from 1300-2358 (due to the AM period of availability). Crew Scheduling may contact you two hours prior to the beginning of your period of AM/PM availability with an assignment but such assignment must depart within your obligation period.

Adjacent Base Flying
Adjacent Base Flying (“AB”), allows a regularly-scheduled flight attendant at MIA/IMA and LAX/LAX-I, who is qualified in both operations, to request a trip at the adjacent base. Open time will be awarded to FAs at the respective base before it is offered to FAs at the adjacent base. AB flying is subject to the company’s option and may not be offered every day. Check the RF 8803A CCS file which is updated daily by Crew Scheduling.
For more information, click here and scroll to the Adjacent Base information at the bottom of the page.

Reserves Scheduled for November and December
For FAs scheduled to serve Reserve in November, don’t forget that it’s entirely possible that a senior FA(S) could bump you from your Reserve rotation. In order to avoid being pulled onto Reserve in December, one option is to bid onto Reserve in November.
Also, if you are near the bottom of the Reserve list, it’s always a good idea to back yourself up with some regular bids. If you are bumped off Reserve, you are subject to Reserve the following month (seniority requiring). Please review  Article 10.S.2 for the contractual language. If you are considering bidding onto Reserve, you must indicate as much on your bid ballot as well as actually bidding Reserve selections. Simply bidding Reserve selections is not enough. Also, as a reminder: bidding onto Reserve in a month with a known planned absence (vacation or bid leave) will NOT satisfy your Reserve obligation.

AmericanAirlines + US Airways 
“MERGE!”

Leslie Mayo
APFA National Communications Coordinator