12.20.16 – DFW Crew News Debrief

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

 

All of your Base Presidents get their hotlines out at different times. Since many of you get theirs as well as the CLT Crew News, rather than send out the same messages that have been sent out by other Base Presidents regarding the Reserve December debacle, PBS still assigning out of seniority, uniforms and denied IODs and FMLAs, I will attempt to address the arrogance and the attempted blame of APFA by upper management at the recent DFW Crew News. 

I would like to clap my hands for the DFW Flight Attendant that said it was a “girl” problem. Maybe he was camera shy like I am, but the fact is this is a multi-base problem and it affects men and women equally.

1) Doug Parker: 85,000 employees are saying they look great and they are happy.

My Rebuttal:  Not all employees have a way of filing a report. More and more of the “other” employee groups that are “happy” are calling into APFA and the AA call center to get assistance.

2) Doug: Only 1,500 Flight Attendants have been affected.

It is actually over 2,000 (and rising) Flight Attendants who have take the time to document their reactions and report them to APFA.

3) Doug: The uniform was tested 3 times by the Company.

The Company has done some uniform testing according to its own standards without input from APFA. APFA is now working with an experienced toxicologist to review the Company’s testing results and develop a joint testing plan with the Company. APFA has informed the Company that it will only agree to conduct joint testing if the plan meets APFA’s standards. That is, the joint testing has to be scientific, thorough, and desinged to be informative.

4)  Doug: $1.2 million spent on this.

The health and safety of the employees does not come with a price tag.

5) Doug: APFA wants a 4th test to ensure that there are no toxic chemicals or metals in the uniform.

YES, we do! Please also realize that many members have been told by the Company Dr. that they cannot wear or be around the uniforms. I have seen many of these Flight Attendants in person and the photos they have shared with me personally.

6) Doug: This “phenomenon” is only happening with the Flight Attendants.

 We have the only way of reporting reactions. Other employee groups are calling in asking us for help with their issues.

Hector Adler:

1) Hector:  AA is using a facility that does hundreds of thousands of testings across the world and have offices in the United States.

Yes maybe, but there are different testing issues. As I said above, APFA is working with a toxicologist to review the Company’s results and make sure that any future testing is scientific, thorough, and designed to be informative.  

2) Hector: If you are not having a reaction to the uniform we encourage you to wear it.

So Hector, let’s once again try and pit Flight Attendant against Flight Attendant? If the Company doctor has said they can’t wear them or even be around them, then pay them. Honor the IODs rather than deny them. May I also suggest that they (company) wear the uniform and work flights?

3) Hector: Hearsay…

Really? Have you seen the photos and the IODs that have been denied? Those are not hearsay; they are actual responses from suffering Flight Attendants across the system.

4) Hector: Grooming products, lotions, and perfumes…..

Really? We used the same products for the majority of our careers. For me personally, I have been through 4 uniform changes and kept using my same products.

5) Hector: It is highly implausible that being near something could create a reaction.

Why did we take peanuts off our airplanes again? I believe it had something to do with anyone eating peanuts could cause problems.

If you have not watched the Crew News please do so. NAI and FOI/Base Transfers were also blamed on the Union(s). There did not appear to be any union representation there but I can tell you for a fact that the last 2 meetings in Charlotte were not published or announced by the Company so that union representation could be there. We found out last minute.

Officers or representatives need to be there to dispute the rhetoric. Anyone of your Base Presidents would be happy to fly out to DFW if the Company kept us informed of when they were happening.

Hopefully, we can get management to quit blaming APFA for the delays in their inability to get to FOI and all the benefits we were supposed to have from this JCBA.

In light of the fact that this message is going out late, I and the other officers and representatives would like to wish all of our fellow Flight Attendants a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

In Unity and Solidarity,

Cathy Bossi,
APFA CLT Base President