7.16.21 – APFA LGA Base Brief – July 16, 2021

Friday, July 16, 2021

Assault on Flight Attendants

We continue to receive CERS reports about the violence and aggression you are experiencing onboard the aircraft. We also are aware that some of these misconduct events are related to face mask noncompliance. We recognize that this is a traumatic situation for the crew members involved. The FAA has a zero tolerance policy for disobeying crew member instructions, and will investigate each incident escalated to them and assess a fine if appropriate. APFA continues to exhaust every avenue— with the company, other labor organizations, and federal/local governments— to advocate for more transparency and support for Flight Attendants.

We need every Flight Attendant to be aware that two (2) CERS reports from two separate Flight Attendants who witnessed the non-compliance need to be sent in. One report does not hold as much weight as one report with a witness report corroboration.

Please get in the habit of having another crew member, who witnessed the incident, also file a CERS to back you up. It helps the APFA Safety department take this data to the company and the Government to force a change.

NYC Base Meeting

Penelope and I will be hosting our term’s first NYC Base meeting as your local representatives on September 1, 2021. This meeting will be available to all NYC Flight Attendants virtually and in person. Due to continued COVID-19 restrictions with venues, we are still finalizing details of any cap to the number of attendees and other specifics that the pandemic continues to impose on in-person gatherings. I will be sending out a base brief with all details by the end of July. I wanted you to have this information as you plan and work on your end of AUG schedules with carry-over pairings in mind. We plan to stream the meeting and then have it available for all flight attendants to view whenever time permits.

I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible and answering the questions we all have.

New Delhi, India –  2-Class Service

Our JFK to New Delhi (DEL) service begins on October 31, 2021. I will be sure to pass along communications as we get closer to the start of this new and exciting route for New York-LGA.

Dues Arrears/Collections

As we return to negotiations, the need for APFA members to become dues current has increased. Dues obligation for AA Flight Attendants is a condition of employment, and Section 35.F of the JCBA and Article IV of the APFA Constitution defines that. Over the next few months, the Treasurer’s department will be reviewing past dues for all actively employed members at AA. Collecting these dues will help us attain the best contract possible. If you feel you may be in Dues Arrears, you can email the Dues Department at [email protected]. APFA is currently working on Memberlink, allowing you greater insight into all dues transactions/arrear status this fall. A hotline will be forthcoming with more details. As your base President, I understand that this conversation can be somewhat tricky and at times feel specific, but I assure you that it is not, nor would I ever allow it to be. As a union, we have a responsibility to account for all transactions; this is one of them.

Rescheduling Contractual Violations

The company continues to disrespect and violate our JCBA. Four hotlines have been sent out and found on the APFA website for you to download and print. This information is invaluable should you be in a situation where you or your crew is about to be rescheduled.

Section 10.J.1.a of the JCBA defines the term rescheduling. In that definition is the following language: “…These provisions are not intended to be utilized in such a manner to require a Lineholder to serve as a Reserve effectively.” The company must utilize all reserves at base before rescheduling Lineholders. It is imperative that once you are noticed of a possible RS, pull up the reserve report for the base you are being rescheduled out of. Screenshot the RS and, if possible, any HI3 of the original sequence you have. Call crew tracking and ask particular questions. “Is this call being recorded? What was your name again? Have all the reserves in —- been utilized?”

While we cannot refuse a RS we can gather this information to fight for you if you were illegally rescheduled. We will collectively fight this egregious violation with the company. Your reports matter. Would you please email potential RS to Penelope or me? Please remember that if you are in the operation dealing with any of this, you have the contracts and scheduling desk and live chat during off business hours that you or another fellow crew member can call to verify or clarify an uncertain reschedule. Look for the Live Chat button at APFA.org.

Early Boarding Presidential Grievance

Please remember that APFA continues the fight in violations by the company in boarding our aircrafts early. In the meantime, please continue to submit your reports of early boarding violations. We have created a new online reporting form on the APFA website. The link may be found under ‘Forms’ on the APFA home page with instructions for the required information. Please discontinue the use of the previous APFA early boarding email address to submit reports. By utilizing this new online form, we will compile and track these claims more efficiently.

Negotiations

APFA is returning to negotiations, planning to focus on the critical issues of concern for Flight Attendants. The Negotiating Committee is reviewing all work thus far and will be working with the APFA Board of Directors to identify the key priorities. As a member of the APFA BOD, I plan to represent New York-LGA, each of you, and everything that affects us on the line. As the updates come out on hotlines, it is so important that we all stay engaged. I know we are all busy, but this is about our future and our careers. Please share these updates with your flying partners, and encourage them to sign up for the APFA Hotlines. We will be providing more information on how your involvement will help us achieve the contract we deserve. During negotiations, APFA will be sending detailed information frequently. This is your contract, so please be sure that APFA has your updated contact information and you receive the APFA hotlines. To update your personal information with APFA and to sign up for hotlines, please utilize the following links:

• apfa.org/members/update-your-information/
• apfa.org/hotline/hotline-subscription/

 

JFK-SCL Base Poll

Deadline is Monday, July 19th, at 1400 ET

I would like to survey the base to determine the most popular option now that the JFK-SCL is flown as a rocket. As much as we could debate this all day, it is not a debate, but a survey, so I would appreciate your response to have your input and know-how to proceed with the base’s majority preference in mind.

Click here to participate in the survey

The survey choices are as follows:

• Option 1: Remain a “rocket” with a short layover time.
• Option 2– 61hr layovers on sequences originating on Wednesdays and Fridays and an 85hr layover for pairings that originate on Sundays. Crews would have to remain in the hotel for the entirety of their 61-85 hour layovers; there is no exception to this unless the Government of Chile changes their requirement for us to fly this route.

Know Where You are Headed

The COVID-19 pandemic is not over around the world. We fly to almost every part of the world. Before you fly, you must check Comply365: Your guide to destination-specific information related to COVID-19. This will give you details on where you are headed and what to expect.

Turbulence Injuries

One of the most significant challenges experienced during the summer season is inclement weather, leading to turbulence.

Important Reminders:

• During the crew briefing, if you feel you have not received information concerning the possibility of turbulence during the flight, ask for additional information.
• If the flight deck crew advises you to take or remain in your jumpseat, do so – as quickly as possible, and remain seated until further advised. The flight deck crew will make an initial PA informing passengers of the turbulence—follow-up with subsequent announcements if necessary.

If you experience moderate or severe turbulence, report via CERS within 24 hours of the event. If you are on an international sequence, report the incident within 24 hours of your return. An Injury on Duty (IOD) may be filed 24/7 by calling: 844-777-8463

UNICEF

As a reminder – for the month of July, all UNICEF Change for Good (CFG) donations (in-flight, online, and through AA workplace giving) will support UNICEF’s efforts to procure and equitably distribute 2 billion. COVID-19 vaccines to over 180 countries in 2021!

For UNICEF, ending the pandemic through equitably distributing the vaccine is directly related to fulfilling its mission of helping children and safeguarding the future of the most vulnerable children around the world. You can help UNICEF in this effort by collecting donations on all your CFG-eligible flights.

• $2 could provide the delivery of a vaccine dose
• $5 could provide 16 masks for healthcare workers
• $10 could provide a rapid diagnostic test for COVID-19

An updated July CFG PA can be found in the tablet Document Library > UNICEF > UNICEF PAs. This PA should be read through July 31 prior to collecting in-flight. Thanks to all foreign-language speakers for your support with making the foreign-language PA.

To sign up as a Champion for Children, email [email protected] or self-register on the Flight Service website: Jetnet: Change For Good on American Airlines. Thanks to all Flight Attendants who continue to support UNICEF’s life-saving efforts through CFG.

Strict Quarantine Restrictions

I never forget the strict restrictions you have had to endure due to specific government requirements for us to fly into their country. I continue to bring this up to the company every opportunity I get. I am working closely with our pilot’s local union leadership to ensure we are on the same page and hold the company to communicating any lifting of these restrictions as soon as they happen. Please understand that regardless of what a hotel property tells you, I would never allow the company to arbitrarily impose limitations on us while on our rest time unless it were a severe precaution to protect ourselves; in that case, I would communicate that.

Base President vs. Christian

Your quality of work-life is my responsibility as your base President. Issues sometimes need immediate attention, and I understand that sometimes all we can get to is a social media avenue, and that is fine. Unfortunately, I do not check my messages via FB messenger and personal email as often as I would like. When you have a time-sensitive matter, the fastest way to reach me is my official APFA email [email protected] or my office line at 347-546-0703.

At times, I want to be transparent in that I will delegate a call to one of the council reps, which I am so fortunate to have as part of Team New York, but I also understand that some issues may warrant me personally responding. Would you please tell me that if that is your preference? I am excited about the growth in New York, but we still have so many challenges with how the company continues to ignore many parts of our contract and, at times, our rights as Flight Attendants and Union Members. Thank you for understanding and allowing me to serve you; I am proud of every day I do it.

Now more than ever, we must take care of one another, please fly & stay safe.

Christian M. Santana
APFA LGA Base President 
[email protected]

(347) 546-0703

Penelope King
APFA LGA Base Vice President
[email protected]

(718) 350-7043

Proud to Represent New York-LGA