1.07.05

This is Denise Pointer, DFW InfoRep with the InfoRep hotline for Friday, January 7, 2005.

Beginning with this first week of the New Year, the APFA InfoRep program is off to a new start. APFA will be working hard to revitalize this invaluable membership tool. It is a critical link for flight attendants and it is equally important to our Union leadership in obtaining feedback from you.

In the next issue of Skyword you receive, you will find two important pieces of information. First is an On-Duty Contract Guide in the center section. It’s like a Cliff’s Notes version of our 2001 CBA and the 2003 RPA combined. While APFA and the company are in the process of printing a single document of official contractual language combining these two agreements for distribution later this year, you will find this guide to be helpful on your trips. Tear it out and take it with you. Encourage your fellow crewmembers to do the same.

The second piece of information we encourage you to share with your coworkers is the details about the Membership Opinion Survey referenced on page 14 of the 4th Quarter ’04 Skyword. Beginning January 18, 2005, members will be able to access this survey via APFA’s website and provide their input in this first round of questions. The survey will be offered by the University of North Texas who surveyed our members at APFA’s request prior to the Strike of ’93. Responses will be kept completely confidential. Only totals and averages will be provided to APFA to better represent your interests.

Other APFA news: APFA will be hosting the first-ever leadership summit at Headquarters on Tuesday, January 11th. Twenty-nine invitations were sent to former National Officers as well as candidates from the 2003 National Officer election that are members in good standing. The goal of this summit is to bring ideas and diversity together into one room to better our membership. This will be a round table discussion mediated by a professional arbitrator. It will be hosted by our four current National Officers and should last approximately three hours.

APFA President Tommie Hutto-Blake is continuing with her base visits and will be accompanied by various representatives. We encourage all InfoReps to attend these base visits and get your questions answered in person. The remaining visits are as follows: San Jose, California Ops on January 12th in the afternoon; San Francisco Ops the morning of the 13th; LAX Operations on January 24th and 25th; Chicago Ops on February 1st and 2nd; Miami Operations on February 14th and 15th; DCA Ops on March 7th and 8th; and RDU Operations on March 28th and 29th. The base visits are typically in the afternoon of the first day and the morning of the second day.

APFA Vice President Brett Durkin has announced a Training Program on Article 31R of the Current Bargaining Agreement, which is open to all members in good standing. This is a new program scheduled for January 14th and will help all who attend to have a better understanding of the grievance process. It will be held at APFA HDQ beginning at 9:00 a.m. If you would like to attend this voluntary program, please call APFA at extension 8209. It is space limited and will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

The InfoRep program began in the early ‘90s and is a proven tool in efficiently disseminating factual information to our members via the thousands of InfoReps system wide. It was most recently used in obtaining our 2001 Contract and made the difference between our members earning an industry-standard contract and an industry-leading contract. Though the program has not been utilized to its capacity since that time, there is no better time than the present to refocus our efforts and reunify this membership.

When talking in the galleys, in operations or on email groups, we will always have our own opinions, beliefs and goals. We must continue to embrace our differences. Diversity is not a bad thing! But, I know we all will agree that spreading false information for the sake of dividing and conquering hurts our profession and each other by weakening our workgroup. As an InfoRep, you are going to be receiving the good, the bad and the ugly. It will be factual, it will be timely, and it will be “spinless”. All of your questions and concerns from the field will be addressed. If I don’t have an answer for you, I will get one. This hotline will be updated twice a month or more as events warrant. Please refer to the website’s InfoRep section and print out the information you find there to carry on your trips.

We currently have thousands of APFA members listed as InfoReps. I am hoping all of you have the desire to continue serving in this role. Please respond to this email with your name, employee number, new address if applicable, base and contact number and let APFA know you are here to help make your Union unifed once again and are interested in continuing to be an APFA InfoRep. Our email address is [email protected] or if you prefer to call APFA Headquarters, you may leave me a message with the necessary information and your confirmation to continue to be an InfoRep at extension 8743. The InfoRep program needs you, the membership needs you and your leadership needs you.

Denise Pointer, DFW InfoRep
InfoRep Program
1004 W. Euless Boulevard
Euless, TX 76040
817-540-0108 Ext. 8743
i[email protected]