9.07.06 – (LAA) – 9/11, Layover Hotels, Resignation Proffer, DOT Secretary Appointment

This is Leslie Mayo, National Communications Coordinator, with the APFA Hotline for Thursday, September 7, 2006.

September 11th: Monday marks the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Flight Attendants are the first responders on board the aircraft. The 13 Flight Attendants who died that day performed nothing short of a miracle in their efforts to protect themselves and their passengers and relay information to authorities. Their heroic actions and their bravery in both what they did on board and what they communicated to ground personnel helped formulate new procedures that have enhanced the safety of our aircraft and our skies today. All American Airlines Flight Attendants will remember this day in our own way. Whether you’re flying a trip, commuting to or from work, at home, on vacation or attending a memorial service on September 11th, we honor and pay special tribute to our 17 American Airlines crewmembers who died that day:

Flight Attendants Bobbie Arestegui, Jeffrey Collman, Sara Low, Karen Martin, Kathy Nicosia, Betty Ong, Jean Roger, Dianne Snyder, Amy Sweeney, Michele Heidenberger, Jennifer and Ken Lewis, Renee May; and Captain Chic Burlingame and John Ogonowski and First Officers Dave Charlebois and Tom McGuinness.

A thank you to those who forwarded information on memorial services set to take place on Monday, September 11th throughout the nation. Please check the Web site for 9/11 services.

APFA News: From the Hotel Department: Lately, there have been a lot of problems with transportation to layover hotels arriving very late or not at all. As a reminder, if transportation does not arrive within 30 minutes of the actual or scheduled flight arrival, whichever is later on Domestic sequences; and 45 minutes on International sequences, the crew is permitted to obtain alternate reimbursable transportation (such as a taxi) to the layover hotel. The cost of the alternate transportation will be reimbursed by AA as long as a receipt is retained and submitted as proof. Please see the MOD for the reimbursement forms. Refer to Article 21, paragraph E of the Contract for details.

Just a reminder about a few items previously published on this hotline. The language resignation proffer is open and will close Sunday, October 1st at 0001 Central Time. Please review Article 11, Letter 1 of the Contract for details. Reserve Preferences should be honored up to the range of +/- 25-hours due to the expansion of the ADUR through September 14th. For more information, please click on the link from www.apfa.org entitled Scheduling Letters of Agreement. Also, Flight Attendant retirement seminars conducted by APFA and AA Reps continue this month and next. Dates scheduled so far are September 19 and 20th in New York, September 27th in Miami and October 11th in Chicago. Please check the Web site link entitled Retirement Seminars for details. And finally, we are still collecting Flight Attendant stories regarding the recent security alert in the U.K., which altered security procedures beginning August 10, 2006. Please email [email protected] with details of what you have experienced and/or been forced to discard as a result of the ban on liquids that initially applied to passengers and crewmembers alike.

Industry News: President Bush has nominated Mary Peters to replace Norm Minetta as the DOT Secretary pending Senate confirmation. Bush also announced his plans to appoint Paul DeCamp to the head of the Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division. DeCamp, an attorney who has represented the most notorious anti-labor company, Wal-Mart, will be appointed during the Congressional recess allowing DeCamp to bypass confirmation hearings by Congress prior to his appointment.

Bankruptcy Watch: The bankruptcy court overseeing the Delta bankruptcy proceedings decided yesterday to allow the Company to terminate the pilots’ pension plan affecting 13,000 active and retired pilots. This deal is pending the approval of the PBGC. ALPA had previously approved the termination of their pensions, however, a group of about 100 pilots objected to the termination until yesterday when they withdrew their objection in court. With this termination, Delta Airlines says its pilots should receive about $75K annually upon retirement.

Fuel Watch: As of Tuesday, September 5th, a barrel of crude oil cost $68.60, down $1.11 from last week’s price. The crack spread price was $13.78, down $1.92 from last week’s price. This brings the cost of one barrel of jet fuel to $82.38 – down $3.03 from the price of jet fuel a week ago.

One year ago September, the price of a barrel of crude was $65.55, and the crack-spread price was $28.41. The total for one barrel of jet fuel a year ago was $93.96, about $11.50 more than the price of a barrel of jet fuel today. Last year at this time, Hurricane Katrina had a major effect on fuel prices and this is the first month since we began reporting fuel prices that the price of fuel was less today than one year ago.

3,882 APFA members remain on furlough. In accordance with Article 16.D., of the APFA collective bargaining agreement, 867 of our members will reach their 5-year recall expiration date on October 1, 2006, and another 289 APFA members will reach their 5-year recall expiration date on October 7, 2006. Though there have been many discussions over the past two years between labor and management on the subject of recall rights, management has told us that they are not interested in altering this language to extend recall rights. The parties have scheduled discussions to take place this month in advance of the approaching recall expiration dates.

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That’s it for this week. Thank you for calling the APFA Hotline.