10.03.05

Please go to www.www.apfa.org and click on "Contact Your Senators on Pension Reform". Once there, follow the links. Your help is needed!

For the third week in a row, APFA leaders joined American Airlines executives, members of the Allied Pilots Association (APA) and the Transport Workers Union (TWU), our lobbyists and a number of consultants to deliver a critical message to lawmakers on Capitol Hill. We are encouraging Congress to adopt legislation that includes American Airlines in any airline-specific provisions. We want the same interest rate and amortization period to fund our pension plans as some distressed carriers would get but without having to freeze our plans. Collectively, we pointed out that at AA labor and management are all on the same page on this very important issue. We asked that legislation be crafted that would recognize our efforts. It’s our belief that many of the meetings we’ve had with Senators, Representatives and their staffs have been productive and that our message is reaching them.

Currently there are two bills in the Senate and one in the House regarding overall pension reform. The process is that the majority and minority leaders of the respective committees in both the House and Senate will review these bills and ultimately pass them to the floor of each branch of Congress. There they must be passed by the full body. At that point, the leadership from both branches have to agree in Conference before any new law is passed on to the President.

Time is of the essence in this effort. We must convince Congress that our requests come from all of the employees at American Airlines, not just our team on the Hill. The best message to an elected representative comes from a constituent, someone who lives in the state or district from which that person has been elected. This is where we need your help. Some of the most influential Senators and Representatives on this subject are from states where we have very few members.

We have composed a sample letter and a suggested phone dialogue to assist you. We believe that this important legislation may take shape soon so the time to act is NOW – it is your future benefit we are trying to save and we need your help!

The states whose Senators need to be contacted are:

OHIO Offices of Senator Mike DeWine
MONTANA Offices of Senator Max Baucus
IOWA Offices of Senator Charles E. Grassley
WYOMING Offices of Senator Michael B. Enzi

Denise Pointer – DFW Info Rep
[email protected]