3.22.16 – Charlotte Base Hotline

Fellow CLT Flight Attendants,

I was very vocal about the closing of the CLT training center and I remain disturbed regarding the Company’s knee-jerk reaction to close the center. Mr. Parker and Mr. Adler promoted the training center closure as being good for relationship building between LAA and LUS Flight Attendants. Many LAA Flight Attendants expressed that they were looking forward to having the option of coming to Charlotte for CQT/Recurrent training. Wouldn’t having LAA Flight Attendants come to training in CLT be part of relationship building with their LUS counterparts?

I requested that Mr. Parker have his last crew news in Charlotte. I am glad he came to CLT, whatever role my suggestion may have played. It was my intention to attend with a list of issues that need resolution. Unfortunately, due to illness. I was unable to attend. However,  I was able to be on a conference call with Ms. Laurie Lofgren, Managing Director of Base Operations & Administration for Flight Service, along with Base Management and other Union Officers.

The following issues were presented to Management during the call:

• Cost of the Health Care Insurance and Medications
• The ARC team and FMLA denials and delays
• Sedgewick and OJI/IOD denials and delays
• Crew Scheduling Violations
• Pay Claim and Payroll issues
• Pairing Construction and Circadian Rhythms/Rest/Trip Quality
• Hotel Issues
• Crew Meals
• Weather Events (Jonas) – Stranded Crews

BOD Convention and “No More Games” Campaign!

Much of what occurred under general business at the APFA BOD Convention in Phoenix was discussed in earlier hotlines by the other Base Presidents.

• PHL Hotline
• PHX Hotline

I will however address the email campaigns that have occurred on a few different occasions, and the latest “NO MORE GAMES” issue regarding the Ad Hoc selection process. The APFA Constitution and Policy Manual are clear regarding the Ad Hoc election process.

The Constitution requires any member who wishes to submit a Willingness to Serve (WTS) to do so prior to the beginning of the annual convention. The APFA National Secretary provides the willingness to serves to the Board of Directors (BOD) on the first day of the convention. We do not see the WTS’s until then. At this time the BOD can add additional names of persons they believe would be able to fulfill the role of Ad Hoc. All initial nominations must be completed on the first day of the APFA Convention. It was impossible for the membership to know the nominees prior to the convention because the names of those who submitted WTS’s had not yet been released, nor had Board Members made their nominations.

Three (3) names came in by WTS prior to the convention, and several names were added by the BOD during initial nomination process. Ad Hoc elections do not take place until the last day of the convention. For each Ad Hoc elected, it requires two-thirds of the BOD members to agree. This process can take several hours or several days. If two-thirds of the BOD do not agree after the first three rounds of voting a break must be called. This break allows time for the BOD to caucus. Once the BOD returns from break, one of three options are available to the BOD.

1. Continue to vote from among the most recent list of run-off candidates; or
2. Conduct a run-off vote from among the candidates receiving the first and second highest number of votes respectively in a fourth or subsequent vote; or
3. Begin the initial balloting process over, from among the original or any additional nominees. It is at this point that Board members may put forward additional nominees.

This process continues after every three (3) rounds until an Ad Hoc member has been elected to the open position. The process then repeats for each open position remaining. For further reference, please see the APFA Constitution Section 4.J. and the APFA Policy Manual Section 14.U.

The email campaign stated — “You were elected to represent our interests when placing a vote. You are expected to vote the voice of the membership.”  Having no advance notice of who is applying, or who is being added from the floor during the convention, how can the membership recommend who we elect?

When Flight Attendants flood our mailboxes with chain letters our fellow Flight Attendants who need immediate assistance can be overlooked. I appreciate and encourage feedback from all Flight Attendants, but chain letters only repeat what one email written by one member can express. Your CLT Representatives diligently work for all members, but we prefer to hear your singular and “unique” voice.

Retirement Briefing

APFA Retirement Specialist Patrick Hancock will be conducting a briefing for the third time at the Charlotte base. Even if you’re not planning on retiring in the near future, Patrick has great information on planning for the future. He was very well received in the last two (2) meetings. We will inform you of the mid-April date and location in an upcoming communication.

JCBA Training & Pha5e

The 2014 Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA) and the Pha5e team (New Hire Involvement) are making plans to visit the Charlotte Base. I will inform you of the dates in a future communication. 

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On Sunday, March 20th, we lost a fellow CLT Flight Attendant in a deadly car accident.

Luis Carlos Menacho began his airline career in 2013. He will be deeply missed by his airline family.

If you are having issues with the loss, you can call your Charlotte Officers and EAP Base Council Representatives.

Employee Assistance Program

The Association of Professional Flight Attendants’ Employee Assistance Specialist Program (APFA EAP) is a confidential resource available to members and their families for assistance with personal and work-related concerns.

APFA’s EAP provides the following services:

• assessment, information and resource referral support;
• the promotion of professional standards through effective conflict resolution; and
• offer response and support to critical or traumatic incidents.

It is the APFA EAP Specialist’s objective to enhance the health, welfare and safety of its Union’s members by providing quality peer support services.

For a Confidential Call, APFA EAP can be reached at 817-540-0108 ext. 8701.