2.02.01 – (LAA) – Meeting with Federal Mediator, Strike Ballot Briefings, Strike Authorization Ballot, Ann Loew Meets with Members of IAM, Rumor Control, Cheree Washbish Elected MIA Vice Chair

This is Leslie Mayo, APFA National Communications Coordinator with a special addition to the Negotiations Hotline. Today is Friday, February 2nd.

Members of the APFA Negotiating Committee will meet with Federal Mediator Linda Puchala next Friday, February 9 in Dallas. The mediator plans to meet with Company Negotiators in a separate session on February 8.

We anticipate that the mediator may then schedule joint mediated sessions between the parties at some point in the not-too-distant future.

We will update this hotline as events warrant. Please stay on the line.

 

Hello this is Laura Glading and this is the Negotiations portion of the Hotline for Friday February 2.

The Strike Ballot Briefings concluded today in New York, Washington, Miami and Raliegh. This week’s meetings were, by all accounts as successful as all the others. We were met by large, supportive and well-informed crowds. Thank you to all of our members who took time out of their busy lives to attend.

By now everyone should have received a Strike Authorization Ballot. If you have not received one please contact the Ballot Committee at APFA Headquarters; 800-395-APFA ext 8311. Be sure to leave your name, employee number and correct address. Your ballot can only be counted if you are dues current. If you are in dues arrears please contact the Dues Department at extension 8151 by February 16 and set up a payment plan. Ballots are due by 9:00am CST on February 21.

As the “yes vote” fever intensifies the Company’s efforts to divide us heat up as well. The latest effort is by way of a Flight Attendant mailbox “stuffing” that includes copies of letters written by Sue Oliver and a cover letter from your Base Manager. Please tell the Company that we continue to stand strong by writing on the cover “Hey AA, save a tree, my negotiating team speaks for me”, and returning it to your Base manager via board mail or in person.

Please continue to remind your co-workers to return their ballots. An overwhelming “yes” vote will hopefully give us the support we need to achieve the contract we have all been waiting for. Although you have certainly convinced us that you are solidly behind us there are still a few folks in upper management that have doubts and who still think you are willing to accept the November 16 proposal. A strong yes vote will further demonstrate to the Company and the National Mediation Board that we remain unified and that the Company’s effort to divide us have failed and will continue to fail.

Although the National Mediation Board has not notified us of the date we are to return to active bargaining, the team will be meeting internally next week to prepare for the next steps in the bargaining process.

On behalf of the APFA negotiating team I would like to say that we thoroughly enjoyed meeting with so many of you over the past few weeks. We will be returning to the table with renewed energy and confidence. As always, thank you for your support.

 

APFA HotLine for February 2, 2001

This is Leslie Mayo, National Communications Coordinator, with more APFA HotLine news for the week ending Friday, February 2, 2001.

The Strike Ballot Briefings have been a huge success these past few weeks ending with the meeting in Raleigh today. Thousands of Flight Attendants system-wide attended these briefings to ask questions about the current state of Negotiations and to meet their Negotiating Committee. The importance of a YES vote on your strike ballot is as crucial now as it was before we were told by the NMB that negotiations would resume. Our Negotiating Committee will take the “Power of Yes” from your ballots cast to the table and will gain even more leverage once the votes are counted and the company sees your resolve. Please remember that the ballots are due in the designated Post Office Box by February 21st via US Mail only. February 19th is a holiday so plan accordingly to get yours in on time and make your vote count. The National Balloting Committee would like to remind you that a number of different types of ink are recognizable by the counting machines and that if you don’t have a pencil, just about any ink except the color red is detectable. If it is rejected by the machine, it will be hand counted.

President John Ward and Merger and Acquisition Committee Member Ann Loew met with members of IAM, the Union representing the TWA Flight Attendants this past week. Once our Merger and Acquisition Committee has compiled all of the information possible regarding this transaction, a full report will be presented to the Board of Directors. If you have any comments or suggestions regarding this merge please direct them to the Merger and Acquisition Committee at APFA HDQ, ext. 8751; their e-mail is: [email protected] or your Base Chair.

PhoneWatch is open Monday thru Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Any questions related to Negotiations or the Strike Ballot should be directed to this toll-free number: 866-ASK-APFA. Volunteers are working daily to ensure all members concerns are addressed.

Rumor squelching Number 1: There is no truth to the fact that we are picketing the PFA Award Banquets. However, our pins and wings campaign is still in effect. Keep your PFA pin and wear it proudly after we have a contract. Rumor Number 2: AFA is helping us with our contract negotiations. Answer: What? There is not an ounce of truth to this. Just as AFA and other unions have been joining us on our picket lines, we support all of them as well. Our very own APFA Negotiating Committee is the only one negotiating on behalf of the APFA Flight Attendants. Rumor Number 3: The decision regarding TWA seniority integration has already been decided and is sitting at APFA HDQ in a sealed envelope. Answer: again, not true. As I stated earlier in this Hotline, we are at the infant stages of gathering information regarding the TWA seniority integration. Once the information is compiled, the Board of Directors will make an informed decision on the integration.

The Miami Domestic Base Council has elected Cheree Washbish as the MIA Vice Chair for the remainder of the term ending March 31, 2001. We would like to thank Cheree for offering her time to assist Miami Domestic.

That’s it for this week, please remember to wear only your Union Pin, Wings and Nametag and turn your tag around to 4,3,2,1… if you haven’t done so already.

The candidate information sheet that was included in the Boston International Base Representative Ballot Packet contains a typographical error. The date on second item of Peter Quinn’s labor relations background incorrectly states 1966 to present. The date that Peter submitted on his willingness to serve is 1996 to present. A corrected candidate information sheet is being mailed to each APFA member based at Boston International. The National Balloting Committee would like to apologize for any con confusion that this error may have created. That’s it for this week. Thank you for calling the hotline and remember it’s union pin, wings, and the nametag only and your bag tag should read 4,3,2,1…. Thanks for calling the APFA Hotline.