1.26.24 – APFA ORD Base Brief – January 26, 2024

Friday, January 26, 2024

Chicago’s Winter Wonderland

Our Chicago weather has reared its head these last weeks. The snow, the frigid temperatures, the slipping and sliding. Be careful out there.

Let’s first address the elephant in the room…the employee buses. Justin and I want to thank all of you who have contacted us. Because of your diligence, we inundated not only Inflight but the VP of Operations and his staff with your concerns. We attended the ORD Town Hall January 24th. Immediately afterward, Justin and I met with our Base Manager, Claire Madden, and the VP of Operations, Ben Humphrey. Here is what we learned: The last bus company had buses that were outdated and unreliable. The new bus company wanted over three months to get up and running but was given 45 days. They hit the ground running but obviously not at full capacity. To compensate, they filled in with two buses that were shorter and had no luggage racks. Top that off with a schedule that no one could figure out and longer bus rides. We realize that the buses affect ground personnel as well as flight crews. The significant difference is that we have luggage. Holding our bags between our legs and standing because buses are overpacked is just not acceptable.

We have a couple of takeaways. Eight to ten new buses are on order. The short buses with no racks will be phased out as more buses arrive. Until then, we asked that those buses be used at slow peak times. Until then, please continue to write. We are looking at a universal email address but until then, write [email protected] and CC us in. Remember to include the bus number and times if possible. If you are late due to bus issues, please contact your Crew Manager or the Duty Manager. The FAA mandates a reduction in taxiway crossings. Hence, the buses are now taking a more circuitous route and adding more time to the drive. How much more time? We were told a minute or two, but it seems more like 5-6 minutes more to me.

Flight Attendant Worldwide Day of ACTION
The Worldwide Flight Attendant Day of Action is February 13, 2024, at O’Hare, 11am. Please join your APFA Base Leaders and CAT (Contract ACTION Team) as we band together with Flight Attendants from other carriers who are also in contract negotiations. We stand against corporate greed. For more information, read the latest hotline here.  Come out and show your support. RSVP here!

Negotiations

You may have read the latest negotiations hotline, which may be found here. In a nutshell, APFA submitted a letter (read here) to the NMB (National Mediation Board) asking for a release to strike. We are happy to say the NMB responded expediently, and our negotiators will meet with the NMB on March 13, 2024. Our negotiations have been ongoing, and it can seem like this will never end. It will! Stay fired up! Continue to put the pressure on the Company by wearing your red lanyards and displaying your bag tags. It may not seem like it matters but it does. Let this Company continue to see RED! We must continue to show the company we are not giving up and we are not backing down. I feel like things are moving now and we are getting close to the industry-leading contract that we deserve.

RAP Back
TSA has a mandatory RAP Back program. It is a federal mandate requiring all airline crew members with Secure Identification Display Area (SIDA) badges or crew badges to enroll. If you have not yet complied, the deadline is quickly approaching. For more information, reference the January 23, 2024 company communication here. If you have any questions, reach out to your crew manager. Look at your HI*9. If you see the SPL Training code 36, you have been enrolled. If you do not see that code, you must be fingerprinted. For questions, call HR 682-278-0585.

Union Representation
You are always entitled to union representation when you have a disciplinary meeting with the company – JCBA 35.R. If you are on probation or not, you are always entitled to representation, even if the company tells you it’s not a big deal. Please reach out to us to coordinate meetings. Contact us at our APFA email addresses or via the base contact phone number 773-645-0809. We are here to support you. Please remember our AA emails are company owned. Email our APFA emails and please use your personal email addresses and not your AA.com emails. Most importantly, our conversations are confidential.

APFA Safety
Your APFA Safety department has worked to create a new, quick and immediate way to reach out when there is a critical event while on duty. While American Airlines is responsible for us when we are on duty, the Union needs to be informed of critical incidents to best help our members. For more information, the latest Safety hotline outlining the new APFA notification process may be found here.

Save this number for emergencies: 817-357-8786. The new notification prompt system is set up as follows (click graphic to enlarge):

APFA Rep Walk 
Between meetings, phone calls, texts, and emails, Justin and I are typically supporting the base behind the scenes. In addition, we are setting aside one day dedicated to walking the terminals and crew rooms. February 1st, we hope to bump into you to discuss hot topics and hear from you, in person!

Thank you, Chicago. You remain engaged and informed.

In Solidarity,