10.17.14 – (LAA/LUS) T/A Roadshow Videos, Info and Reminders, Ebola, Benefits, Fall Board Meeting, Door Closing Procedures, Benefits Enrollment, etc

 

APFA Hotline – T/A Roadshow Videos, Info and Reminders, Ebola, Benefits, Fall Board Meeting, Door Closing Procedures, Benefits Enrollment, etc. – October 17, 2014

 

LAA / LUS
T/A Roadshow Video Excerpts
For those Flight Attendants who are unable to attend a Roadshow or who would like to review some of the valuable information presented, APFA has begun uploading Roadshow excerpts to YouTube. These video spots were filmed over the past two weeks at various Roadshows around the country and are part of the overall presentation by the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) and APFA’s professionals including Dan Akins, Airline Economist and Rob Clayman, APFA’s attorney for negotiations. As more videos are completed and uploaded, we will publish links for membership viewing. 
 
Laura Glading, APFA President – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5qQ9FujrkA
Roger Holmin, Former US Airways MEC President – http://youtu.be/UW8ulxjmqw0
Rob Clayman, APFA’s Negotiations Counsel – http://youtu.be/8NKYlHI75pA
Dan Akins, APFA’s Airline Economist – http://youtu.be/CY6Yjcm04G0

LAA / LUS
T/A Roadshows
As you know, members of the JNC, along with APFA and AFA’s negotiations’ attorneys and APFA’s Airline Economist are out in the field conducting Tentative Agreement Roadshows for the membership. We’ve already completed NY, Chicago, Boston, Philly, Charlotte and RDU; with Dallas Ft. Worth (10/20 and 10/24), Miami (10/27-28), St. Louis (10/29), Pittsburgh (10/29), DC (10/31 and 11/1), Phoenix (11/3-4), LA (11/5-6) and San Francisco (11/7) still remaining. Please take the time to attend one of these important events. You will not be sorry! Scroll to the bottom of this email for exact times and locations of the remaining Roadshows.
 
LAA / LUS
T/A LANGUAGE AND HIGHLIGHTS – [email protected]
The full T/A draft language is available online for Flight Attendants to review. There are also several copies in operations and crew rooms throughout the system. Flight Attendants should have already received the T/A Highlights which were mailed to all Flight Attendants’ homes last week. The booklet is also available for download at www.www.apfa.org.
 
LAA and LUS
T/A CALL CENTER (682) 292-0244
APFA has set up a T/A Call Center to answer members’ questions about the T/A. Flight Attendants from both LAA and LUS are ready and waiting to respond!
M-F, through November 7th
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Central Time
 
LAA and LUS
T/A Balloting – [email protected]
Balloting packets were mailed last Friday to LAA and LUS Flight Attendants. If you’ve not already received your ballot, please wait until the middle of next week to request a replacement ballot. The voting period will be 30 days in length. Members can cast their vote via the internet or by telephone. Votes will be counted on Sunday, November 9, 2014, at 10:00 a.m. Central.
 
If you are not an APFA member, to have your vote counted you must become a member no later than the 5th day prior to the end of the balloting period – by close of business on November 4. Sign up now, by clicking here. Also, if you are a member in bad standing (more than 60 days in dues arrears), to be eligible to vote you must arrange to be in good standing by the close of business on November 4. To do that, contact the APFA Dues Department by emailing [email protected].
 
LAA and LUS
T/A Pay Estimator iPhone (and new Web!) App
AA Flight Attendant Alex Rodriguez (IOR) has created a T/A pay estimator iPhone/iPad app for Flight Attendants. He also just completed a web-based online app available for use by everyone. To download the iPhone app or access the web app, visit: www.www.apfa.org/taestimator.
 
LAA / LUS
Interim Guidance about Ebola Infection for Airline Crews, Cleaning Personnel, and Cargo Personnel – [email protected] and [email protected]
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) requests that airline crews ask sick travelers if they were in Guinea, Liberia, or Sierra Leone in the last 21 days.
1. If YES, AND they have any of these Ebola symptoms—fever, severe headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, or unexplained bruising or bleeding—report immediately to the CDC.
2. If NO, follow routine procedures.
 
Ebola Airport Screening – [email protected] and [email protected]
Five US airports, JFK, ORD, IAD, ATL and EWR, have begun screening passengers arriving from West Africa. Any passengers presenting any symptoms such as a fever will be placed in quarantine. There are no proposed changes to Crew Members’ clearing customs in the U.S.
 
The CDC confirmed that a healthcare worker who assisted with the care of the first Ebola patient in the US traveled on Frontier Airlines on October 13th, 2014 from Cleveland to Dallas Fort Worth.  No crew or passengers are being placed in  quarantine; instead they are being interviewed by the CDC.  Anyone who is determined at risk will be monitored. AA has set up an EBOLA email for Q/A; [email protected].  Emails will not be addressed individually, but rather questions compiled and answered via the EBOLA update on the lead-in page of JetNet.  Once on the EBOLA update page click on the Q&A link.
 
Symptoms of Ebola:

• Fever (greater than 38.6°C or 101.5°F)
• Severe headache
• Muscle pain
• Weakness
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal (stomach) pain
• Unexplained hemorrhage (bleeding or bruising)

Symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to Ebola, but the average is 8 to 10 days.
 
Transmission
When an infection does occur in humans, the virus can be spread in several ways to others. Ebola is spread through direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes in, for example, the eyes, nose, or mouth) with

• blood or body fluids (including but not limited to urine, saliva, sweat, feces, vomit, breast milk, and semen) of a person who is sick with Ebola
• objects (like needles and syringes) that have been contaminated with the virus
• infected animals

Ebola is not spread through the air or by water, or in general, by food. There is no evidence that mosquitos or other insects can transmit Ebola virus. Only mammals (for example, humans, bats, monkeys, and apes) have shown the ability to become infected with and spread the Ebola virus. 
 
Please stay informed by visiting the CDC.gov for the most current information.  There are several rogue websites that look similar to the CDC and may not have accurate information. 

Suspected Communicable Diseases – [email protected] and [email protected]
Medical 4.13 gives us guidelines to follow for procedures when there is a suspected case of communicable disease.  Please reference your E-manual/tablet for correct procedures.
 
Personal protection equipment is available on every aircraft, be sure to check the service kit when you board the aircraft to ensure you have an adequate supply of gloves for use in flight.  Notify cabin service if there is not a box in the service kit.  We are working on a better method of provisioning each flight with gloves.  When you use the gloves, please remember to remove them inside out carefully, to avoid transferring any fluids on yourself or your clothing. This applies to picking up the cabin and assisting in a medical situation. As of 10/15/14 hand sanitizers are available in all operation areas for FAs to pick up prior to their trip.

LAA / LUS 
Benefits Enrollment – [email protected]
LUS – Benefit enrollment October 20 – 31, 2014
LAA – Benefit enrollment November 3 – 14, 2014
 
Flu shots – AA medical is administering flu shots at no cost, contact your local medical department for details.

LAA / LUS
APFA Fall Board of Directors Meeting
The APFA Board of Directors will be convening for the regularly-scheduled Fall meeting next week in Ft. Worth. Also, in accordance with the APFA Constitution, board members will participate in annual training. This year’s topic is the Preferential Bidding System (PBS) and will be conducted by Mike Flores, LUS Flight Attendant and PBS Specialist.
 
The Board meeting will convene Wednesday morning at 9:00 a.m. at the Embassy Suites Downtown Ft. Worth. All members in good standing are welcome to attend the open portions of the meeting.
 
LAA 
New Door Closing Procedures – [email protected]
The new door closing procedures will go into effect as of Monday October 20, 2014. APFA does not support the implementation of these new door closing procedures which tasks the Flight Attendants with the responsibility of closing the aircraft boarding door. AA, despite APFA’s opposition, decided to adopt the current LUS door closing procedures in an effort to align Flight Attendant procedures as a required process of achieving single operator certificate (SOC). Here are a few points to remember to clarify some questions and confusion regarding this new procedure:
 
 * The new procedure is for closing the boarding door only, Flight Attendants are not responsible for opening the aircraft doors
 
 * If the fwd entry door or 1L is used as the boarding door then FA #1/Purser will be responsible for closing the aircraft door
 
 * If the 2L door is used as the boarding door, then the Flight Attendant assigned to 2L will be responsible for closing the aircraft door and will need to coordinate with FA #1/Purser before closing the aircraft door
 
 * The aircraft door closing is a team effort between the Flight Attendant and the Airport Customer Service Agent, however the Flight Attendant may elect to close the aircraft door without assistance from the Agent
 
LAA
eManual – [email protected]
Revision 95 with an effective date of 20-OCT-14 is available for downloading on the tablet for our eManual. Please be sure to your tablet is working properly and the latest revision of the eManual has been downloaded onto your tablet.

LAA
Trigger Training – [email protected]
The next designated trigger training month is January.  This is the month that the company must offer training slots to those who have successfully triggered in the months of October, November, December and January.  You can trigger for training on your November bid ballot.  More information on how to trigger as well as training options in non-trigger months can be found on the Training pages of the bid sheet.

LAA
D7 Equipment Code – [email protected]
The D7 equipment code was inadvertently left off the cover pages of the bidsheet in October.  D7 is the equipment code for the reconfigured 767-300 with 28 seats in BC and 181 seats in MC.
 
LAA / LUS
Emergencies at Work – [email protected]
As professional flight attendants, we are trained to handle a wide range of inflight emergencies.  During emergencies, we do an excellent job of staying calm and focused. Whether it’s smoke in the cabin, a medical emergency or a bomb threat, we act professionally and do what needs to be done. After the event, though, we may experience a delayed stress reaction.  This may happen hours, days or weeks after the actual event.
 
If you have been involved in an emergency situation and are experiencing symptoms such as flashbacks, depression or anxiety, we encourage you to get in touch with APFA’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP). The EAP offers confidential assistance to help you understand what’s going on and direct you to qualified professionals who can help you understand and get through these challenges.  We’d like you to know that the EAP resources are free and available to you in complete confidence and no matter whether the situation which triggered your stress reaction was work related or personal. To get the help you need, please call us at (817) 540-0108, ext. 8701.
 
LAA
UPDATED Article 30 Timeline – [email protected]
The company has announced an updated deadline for applying for Article 30. If you want to have the option to take Article 30, you have until November 10, 2014, to provide the required 6-month advance notice.  
 
If you do put in your 6-month notice, you will have the option to change your mind in the first three (3) months. After three (3) months, your election becomes irrevocable. Your departure date will be the first day of the contractual month next following the end of your six (6) month notice period.  If you put your notice in before the end of October, your departure will be May 1, 2015. If you wait until November, your departure will be June 1, 2015. Please contact your Flight Service Manager if you’re interested in participating.  
 
If you qualify to take Article 30, (age 45 but not yet 55 on date of departure, with 20+ years of company seniority) that means you are also eligible for Retiree travel under the 65 Point Plan. Some of the older Article 30 forms still reference the Article 30 travel benefits, but since you qualify for both the Article 30 travel and the 65 Point Plan travel, you will get the better of those two packages, the 65 Point Plan retiree travel.
 
If you have any additional questions, you can contact your Flight Service Manager, or the APFA Retirement Department at [email protected], ext. 8490. Download the Article 30 form here: https://www.www.apfa.org/images/retirement/Article-30-Election-Form.pdf
 
LAA
Hotel Department – [email protected]
Remember to check the monthly allocations section of the Hotel Page while bidding for the cities in which we have more than two hotels. The assignments are posted monthly as soon as APFA receives them from the Company.
 
ATL – we have a new long layover hotel that will begin in November.  Please visit the Hotel Page for information and amenities.
 
SAT/long and YUL/short and long – We just conducted site visits and finalized and submitted our recommendations to company reps.  Stay tuned!

• The SSA/long layover has returned to the previous hotel.
• For Temporary Relocations click here.
• For the Hotel/Transportation debrief form, click here.

LAA / LUS
T/A ROADSHOWS – [email protected]
October 20—DFW/IDF – 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Hyatt Regency DFW Airport
DFW Airport, Terminal C
2334 N. International Parkway
DFW Airport, TX 75261
Hotel Telephone #: 972/453-1234
 
October 24—DFW/IDF – 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Embassy Suites DFW South
4650 West Airport Freeway
Irving, TX 75062
Hotel Telephone #: 972/790-0093
Parking is complimentary
Shuttle service to/from airport is complimentary
 
October 27—MIA/IMA – 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Hotel MIA (Auditorium at the airport)
MIA Airport Auditorium/Concourse D, 4th Level (above the American Airlines Credit Union)
 
October 28—MIA/IMA – 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Miami Airport Marriott
1201 N.W. 42nd Avenue
Miami, FL 33126
Hotel Number: 305/649-5000
APFA will pay for parking/Shuttle service to/from Hotel is complimentary
 
October 29—STL – 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Marriott St. Louis Airport
10700 Pear Tree Drive
St. Louis, MO 63134
Hotel Telephone #: 314/423-9700
APFA will pay for parking
Shuttle service to/from airport is complimentary
 
October 29—PIT – 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Hyatt Regency Pittsburgh International Airport
11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Regency Ballrooms D, E, F
1111 Airport Boulevard
Findlay Township, PA 15231
Phone: (724) 899-1234
 
October 31 & November 1—DCA-AA/DCA-US – 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Crystal City Marriott Reagan National Airport
1999 Jefferson Davis Highway Arlington, VA 22202
Hotel Telephone #: 703/413-5500
APFA will pay for parking Shuttle service to/from airport is complimentary
 
November 3 & 4—PHX – 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
The Doubletree Tempe
2100 South Priest Drive
Tempe, AZ  85282
Hotel #: 480/967-1441
Complimentary Parking/Shuttle Service to/from airport
 
November 5 & 6—LAX – 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Hilton Los Angeles Airport
5711 West Century Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90045
Hotel Telephone #: 310/410-4000
APFA will pay for parking
Shuttle service to/from airport is complimentary
 
November 7—SFO – 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront
1800 Old Bayshore Highway
Burlingame, CA 94010
Hotel Telephone #: 650/692-9100
APFA will pay for parking Shuttle service to/from airport is complimentary.

AmericanAirlines + US Airways 
“On Our Way”

Leslie Mayo
APFA National Communications Chair