12.10.16 – (LAA/LUS) – APFA National President Bob Ross’ Response to Company’s Announcement on FOI Timelines

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Saturday, December 10, 2016

 

Dear Colleagues,

In yet another disappointing communication, the Company announced late yesterday that it would be unable to meet its year end goal of providing a comprehensive timeline for reaching full Flight Attendant Operational Integration (FOI). However, the company did express a willingness to explore avenues that may lead to providing base transfers between legacy carriers. No plan or process has yet to be produced, but we will entertain a plan if it is fair and equitable.

The Company’s message comes just weeks after their announcement that they would abandon a short cut plan which included separating PBS from FOI. 

Although we agree that an expeditious way toward an integrated workforce is way overdue, we feel that anything less than a return to a sound short cut plan is unrealistic given the obvious challenges with getting the current version of PBS to comport with current JCBA language and work flawlessly for 25,000 Flight Attendants. 

We remain open to discussions with the Company to find ways to speed up implementation of all aspects of the JCBA. Offering a plan to “explore options” without a willingness to recognize the current limitations that are currently holding up FOI is nothing more than continued empty promises.

In our view, a comprehensive plan must include realistic solutions that do more than make promises that can’t be kept. Labor and shareholders were told that a speedy JCBA would result in a speedy integration, yet we find ourselves nearly three years into the merger with a segregated workforce operating under completely separate platforms. 

As we wait, once again, for the Company’s reevaluated plan, we continue to push for additional reliefs that are equitable to all Flight Attendants. However, cherry picking will have little effect without a true commitment to make the hard decisions and invest in the necessary resources to get to FOI.
 

Bob Ross.

APFA National President
[email protected]

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