6.15.01 – (LAA) – APFA and AA Will Return to Bargaining Table, What to Do During the “Cooling Off” Period

This is APFA President John Ward with a negotiations update. Today is Friday, June 15.

As previously reported on this hotline, APFA and American Airlines will return to the bargaining table next Wednesday, June 20, in Washington, D.C. at the offices of the National Mediation Board.

I wanted to share with you some of the pledges of support we have received from some key unions.

APA, which represents American’s pilots and TWU which represents our mechanics, ramp workers and others, have both expressed their strong support of APFA in our ongoing effort to reach a fair and equitable agreement with Management. Allied Pilots Association President Captain John Darragh sent a letter to Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta this week, urging him to allow our negotiations to continue without government intervention. Jim Little, Director of the Air Transport Division of the TWU recently sent a letter to all TWU locals expressing support for APFA. Both these letters will be posted on the APFA web site.

In addition, I was in Minneapolis this week attending a meeting of the Coalition of Flight Attendant Unions, hosted by our friends at Teamsters Local 2000, which represents the flight attendants at Northwest Airlines. Local 2000 President Danny Campbell pledged his strong support to APFA and our efforts.

Thom McDaniel, President of TWU Local 556, which represents Southwest Airlines Flight Attendants pledged his support.

Pat Friend, International President of the Association of Flight Attendants, spoke eloquently of the need for all airline unions, affiliated or not, to support us in our current struggle. She reiterated that AFA’s 27 member airlines, totaling over 49,000 members, are with us.

It’s good to know in trying times like these that we’re not alone. We will continue to stand strong, with the knowledge that thousands of others are cheering us on! Thanks for your support. Please stay on the line. This hotline will be updated next Friday or sooner if events warrant.

This is Leslie Mayo, National Communications Coordinator, with more APFA HotLine news for Friday, June 15, 2001.

During the 30-day “Cooling Off” period there are specific tasks you can perform to show your support for the APFA Negotiating Team and to keep the energy alive for a NEGOTIATED contract:

1) Call the White House Comment Line and speak to a live operator M-F. The number is – 202.456.1414

2) Call your Congressperson and leave your comments for them. Dial 202.225.3121 to be transferred to your representative.

3) Go to www.www.apfa.org and download the APPEAL FOR FLIGHT ATTENDANT JUSTICE letter. Deliver it to two community leaders in your town and obtain their signature. Return it to APFA at 1004 W. Euless Blvd., Euless, TX 76040, ATTN: COMMUNICATIONS. If you do not have access to a computer and need a copy sent to you, please call APFA Headquarters to obtain a copy. and,

4) Call your local travel agencies and ask them to contact American Airlines and tell them to settle this dispute.

The membership has been Hit and Run Picketing en masse this past week. Please check the web site or call your Base Chair to find out where a picketing or leafleting event might be in your base city. We are minimizing the “heads-up” factor and maximizing the events so that the Company won’t know what hit them. So far, we’ve hit and run in Dallas, Miami, New York, DC and Los Angeles, with San Francisco, Kansas City, Atlanta, and additional events in Dallas are scheduled for the week of June 18th. We’ve spent time in front of AMR Board of Directors’ offices, AA City Ticket Offices, airports and the Department of Transportation. More and more events will be announced on a daily basis. These events are going extremely well and we are getting a lot of press in our fight to reach a negotiated agreement.

Please remember that these are APFA sanctioned events and, until the 30-day cooling off period ends, are the only legal events in which we are to participate. APFA does not condone any type of activity that would conflict with the status quo provisions of the Railway Labor Act while we are in the 30 day cooling off period. In other words, the APFA does not advocate and is opposed to flight attendants engaging in any form of “work to rule” or other tactics that would possibly force us into a lengthy and expensive court battle with management for alleged violations to the Railway Labor Act.

RUMOR CONTROL: Those new-hires you’re seeing on your trips are NOT, I repeat, NOT being hired as replacement workers. Please give them all the help they need in order to accomplish their duties while on your flight. Remember, they are expected to walk that picket line right next to you in the event we are forced to strike.

That’s it for this week, be sure to wear only your Union Pin, Wings and Nametag on your uniform and don’t forget to wear your Union Pin at all Company training events. Your bagtag should read “Time’s Up!”.