4.11.14 – (LAA) – JNC Update, HNL Layover Hotel, Equal-Pay Day, VEOP Exit Dates, 757 Jumpseat, ITF, Professional Standards, HDQ

JNC Update, HNL Layover Hotel, Equal-Pay Day, VEOP Exit Dates, 757 Jumpseat, ITF, Professional Standards, HDQ

 

Joint Negotiating Committee Update
The Joint Flight Attendant Negotiations Survey closed this past Wednesday, April 9, 2014, and the response was overwhelming.  This information will help guide us as we continue the “adopt and go” process.

This week the JNC continued discussing articles and sections of both contracts, and prepared for our opening proposal to present to the company by April 24, 2014.

In the coming weeks, members of the JNC will be visiting Flight Attendant operations/crew rooms at pre-merger American and pre-merger US Airways bases around the system to answer members’ questions.

If you have any questions please email the joint negotiating committee at [email protected].

HNL Layover Hotel
On Monday, April 14, 2014 from 11pm – 4am, electricity in our current HNL layover hotel will be disrupted as a result of repairs to the transformers. Therefore, all April 14th inbound HNL crews will be relocated. Please check the APFA Hotel Department web page — Temporary Layover Relocations, or HIHTL in DECS to obtain accurate information on the temporary hotel.

Equal Pay Day
This week APFA participated in a call with the White House to discuss President Obama’s Executive Orders that will require federal contractors to report salary summary data to the government, including sex and race breakdowns. Secretary of Labor Tom Perez joined the call to provide details.

Tuesday marked “Equal Pay Day” which represents the day in 2014 at which a woman would have finally earned the pay her male counterparts earned in 2013. According to the White House, working women earn 77% of what men earn.

The Senate voted this week on the Paycheck Fairness Act but fell 6 votes short.

VEOP Exit Dates Loaded Into SABRE
The 305 flight attendants leaving under VEOP-2 have had their Early Out dates (EO Dates) loaded into SABRE. The EO date for this group is May 2, 2014.  

If you have a “fly-thru” trip that conflicts with that date, your EO Date will be moved to the day after your trip returns to base.  You will not be removed from that trip as a result of the EO Date.

If you are planning on starting your pension in May of 2014, you will need to call the Flight Attendant Service Center (800-VIP-Crew, #6, 3) and ask them to move your EO date to April 30, 2014. You must have no trips or planned absences on April 30 – May 2 in order for the EO date to be moved. See your April Bidsheet Cover – VEOP Page for step-by-step instructions.

Please note that your Active Employee Health Insurance ends at 0001 on your EO Date. If you buy COBRA coverage or the American Airlines Retiree Medical coverage, they will be retroactive to that day, so there is no break in coverage.  If you transition to another Health Insurance plan, such as Medicare, there may be a one or two day break in coverage.  Try not to schedule any expensive procedures on those days!

For additional information on your EO Dates and Insurance Coverage, you can contact Patrick Hancock in the APFA Retirement Department Ext 8490 or at [email protected]

Update on the 757-2L Jumpseat
Several months ago, a FA suffered a severe injury caused by a mechanical defect on the 757 2L cabin jumpseat, and as a result, all 757 2L cabin jumpseats were blocked as INOP until maintenance could address and fix the defect.

Most of the 757 fleet has undergone the required maintenance on the 2L jumpseat, and once it is fixed the INOP sticker will be removed. Until such time, Flight Attendants should continue to check for the presence of the INOP sticker on this jumpseat. If one does not exist, the Flight Attendant should communicate this with the Captain and confirm that the maintenance log has been updated. At this point, the Captain may coordinate with the gate agent to allow the 2L jumpseat to be used either by a working #5 Flight Attendant or a Deadheading/Non-Rev Flight Attendant.

Once the entire 757 fleet has undergone the required maintenance for the 2L jumpseat, the computer will be updated and the jumpseat will no longer be automatically blocked. This should be completed within a few months’ time and Flight Attendants will be notified when the repairs are complete.

International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) Cabin Crew Committee Meeting
APFA participated in last week’s ITF Cabin Crew Committee meetings held in London, UK on April 3-4 2014. The ITF Cabin Crew Committee includes representatives from ITF as well as both US and International Labor Unions representing Cabin Crew Members. The committee met for the two days at the ITF building to discuss important issues affecting Cabin Crew Members and our fellow aviation coworkers in the air and on the ground.

Professional Standards
APFA Professional Standards is a voluntary and confidential service providing members the opportunity to resolve conflicts/concerns about co-workers without management involvement. Our goal is to promote professionalism and create a safe work environment. APFA encourages the use of Professional Standards when a member is experiencing conflict with a co-worker.  We provide members an informal process to disclose and effectively resolve problems.   Our goal is to restore professional conduct, ensure safety in the workplace and promote sound problem solving.
The program is:
·      A facilitative conflict resolution process
·      Voluntary and confidential, not anonymous
·      Effective assistance when there is no management involvement

The type of concerns handled are:
·      Personality and communication differences
·      Conflicting work / personal habits
·      Unprofessional workplace behavior

If you are experiencing conflict with a co-worker and would like to discuss your concerns with a knowledgeable and trained APFA representative who can help you understand your options and how best to address your situation.  Make a confidential call to your APFA EAP program at 817-540-8701 ext. 8701.

APFA Headquarters’ Building Closed Next Week
Please note that APFA Headquarters will be closed next week for building maintenance (Mon-Thurs.) and a scheduled holiday for the APFA UAW staff (Friday). APFA will be operational Monday through Thursday as the staff and Representatives will be working remotely. All calls and emails will be directed to the appropriate representative and we do not anticipate any interruption of our regular services. APFA Headquarters is scheduled to reopen on Monday, April 21.
 

REMINDERS!

Vacation Trade Bulletin Board at APFA.org
Vacation awards were finalized last week. If you would like to move your 2014-2015 vacation, APFA offers an electronic bulletin board at www.apfa.org to post your trade requests. Click here and follow the directions to post your requested VC trades.

APFA “Flyer” iPhone App
APFA’s Flyer App, Version 5 has been updated and is ready for download from APFA’s website. To download the app, click here.

Human Trafficking Awareness Training – Oakland Airport
Airline Ambassadors International and Bay Area Anti-Trafficking Coalition will be conducting training on how to identify the warning signals of and handle a suspected human trafficking situation. This training coordinates with the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security Blue Campaign and is supported by the U.S. Dept. of State and the DOT.
Where: Oakland International Airport, Terminal 1, Gate 1 Hold Room
When: April 15, 2014
Time: 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.Training is free of charge, however, an RSVP is requested. Click here to register. You can obtain more information by emailing [email protected] or calling (650) 489-5322.

APFA Website Update
If you’re an APFA member / pre-merger AA Flight Attendant, and don’t yet have access to APFA’s website, go to www.www.apfa.org and click on “Create An Account” under the Log In Form from the main page. Once you fill out the form, a verification email will be sent to you. Click on the specified link within the email, and you will gain immediate access to the members-only portion of APFA.org. Get to know it!

Cell Phones In The Cabin: Call to Action!
HR 3676 prohibits the use of mobile devices for voice communications during the in-flight portion of any scheduled domestic commercial flight, exempting any on-duty members of the flight crew and Flight Attendants, or federal law enforcement personnel acting in an official capacity. There’s still time to contact your Congressperson today and ask them to support this important piece of legislation.

Staffing
Do you have a report concerning staffing related issues? Please email details to [email protected].

Share Your Photos
We continue to receive some great pictures from our members both on and off the plane . Please remember that in order for the photos to be useable, they must include the names and employee numbers of all Flight Attendants, as well as contact information (if available). Otherwise, the photos are unusable.

Photos may be incorporated in future APFA web and print projects, including upcoming issues of Skyword, press releases, our APFA New Hire guide and a welcome booklet for our future members from pre-merger US Airways. Please email your hi-res photos to: [email protected]. If you are emailing several high-resolution photos, please limit your photos to 3 per email as our server will block files over a certain size.

If you prefer to mail a hard copy, send to:
APFA Communications
1004 W. Euless Blvd.
Euless, TX, 76040

Photos must be:

• Be the sole property of the sender. By sending in photos, you are giving APFA permission to use them in APFA communications.
• Contain the name(s), employee number(s) (if you can obtain your coworker’s employee number easily), email and phone number of each person in the photo in order to obtain permission to publish.
• Be tasteful in content.

AmericanAirlines + US Airways 
“On Our Way”

Leslie Mayo
APFA National Communications Coordinator