11.10.00 – (LAA) – Negotiations, November 18th Picketing, Ghost Ride, United Pilots Get Raises, DFW FA Pam McIntosh Participating in San Diego Triathlon Challenge

Negotiations Hotline November 11, 2000

Hello, this is Peter Day, member of the APFA Negotiating Committee, with a negotiations update for Friday, November 10th.

No formal negotiations took place this week, however, APFA and Company negotiators did meet to view a mock-up of the new proposed crew rest area on the Boeing 767 aircraft. Mediated talks are scheduled to resume next week in Chicago.

By now, most of you should have received your negotiations update from APFA President John Ward regarding the current state of negotiations. Although we have signed off on 26 of 38 articles, pay and retirement still remain unresolved.

You should have received your Fall Skyword by now. Go to the center section and locate the six “tear-out cards” addressed to the AMR Board of Directors. This is an easy membership action that we all can take part in to show AA’s Big Wigs how we feel. Fill out the cards today and put them in the mail. Please take this message to your flying partners as well. To be effective, they have to hear from all 23,000 of us.

To effectively navigate our way to the industry leading contract we deserve, we need your involvement! Informational picketing is planned for November 18th at all bases and several commuter cities. Event details will be provided at the end of this Hotline. It’s about time to show the company that we are unified and unwavering in our resolve to do what has to be done in order to get the long overdue contract we need.

Our goal on November 18th will be to inform the public and our co-workers that we want a fair contract, and we want it now. This, and all future APFA membership actions, will be legal and conform with the steps of the Railway Labor Act. Hope to see you on November 18th.

Thank you for calling the Negotiations Hotline. Please stay on the phone for more APFA and industry news.

Thank you Peter, this is Patrick Hancock, InfoRep System Coordinator, with the rest of the APFA HotLine news for the week ending October 27, 2000.

Preparations for the system-wide picketing on November 18th are in full swing. Now that bids awards are final, make your plans to join your fellow Flight Attendants at each base for informational picketing between the hours of 11:00 – 15:00 local base time. If you are a commuter or will be on a layover in a non-base city, check the APFA.org web site after Monday for a complete list of Commuter Cities where we will be picketing. Each base is planning a party following the picketing, again, check the web site after Monday for complete details, or contact your base chairperson.

Well, what happens when you have a perfect “Ghost Ride” and you have one of those shriveled souls supervisors who just can’t say “Good Job! Keep up the good work?” Well, they just make up something to complain about. We recently had a Flight Attendant “Coached and Counseled” about giving out too many cans of soda. Ohh, heaven forbid that a passenger who has paid hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars is given a full can of soda! And you though Management was only parsimonious with employees.

Speaking of quality work, a study of medical defibrillators over a two-year period says 40% of passengers recovered after being treated with the device aboard American Airlines planes. That compares with rates of 30% or lower, for firefighters and paramedics using similar equipment. American attributes the positive difference to trained flight crews with quick and easy access to the defibrillators. The study’s authors concluded that defibrillators should become standard equipment for all commercial aircraft.

AMR said on Thursday that it has periodically held merger talks over the past several months with other airline companies. They said “The company is considering its strategic response to the possibility of industry consolidation, and from time to time is engaged in discussions with other carriers regarding significant business combinations and acquisition of assets.” Recent speculation has linked American with Northwest or British Airways, but any future deals are not likely to take place until regulators approve or reject the proposed deal between UAL and US airways. Keep your eyes peeled.

The DFW Domestic representatives have been on top of the understaffing problems on the 777 that occurred from Aug 1 thru Oct 9, 2000. The have arranged understaffing payment for you if you flew during this period. The company has now gone through the records and found about 200 F/A’s who are due understaffing pay. The pay will show up in your Oct 31st paycheck. Please call the manager of pay-comp, Dick Bunting at 817-967-7895 if you feel you are due understaffing and were missed.

United Airlines pilots overwhelmingly ratified a contract this week, that gives them industry leading pay. ALPA said 95% of the more than 8,000 pilots who voted had voted “yes.” Under the pact, United’s 10,500 pilots get immediate raises of 21.5% to 28.5% plus 4% annual increases thereafter. These raises reverse the wage concessions made by UAL pilots during the employee buy-out of Unite, and move the pilots to the industry leading wage position. In exchange for these wage improvements, United was granted the right to operate more small regional jets in its commuter partner airlines.

DFW Flight Attendant Pam McIntosh and her husband Tad are participating in the Annual San Diego Triathlon Challenge to raise money for the Challenged Athletes Foundation. The CAF assists people who have become physically challenged with grants that cover such things as artificial limbs, wheel chairs, hand cycles and other devices that allows handicapped people to participate in sporting events. These $10,000 to $15,000 prosthetics are not normally covered by insurance. Pam and Tad have set a personal goal of raising $50,000 for this worthy cause. To contribute, please contact them at 214-521-8012. We wish them the best of luck in this noble endeavor.

That’s all for this week. Call next week for more information, and see you on the picket line November 18th, and remember, Pins and Wings only.