December 7, 2005

Happy Holidays
On behalf of Katie, Steve and I, we would like to extend our holiday wishes to you and your family this holiday season. It has been a stressful year with many ups and downs from beginning to end. We hope that you will be able to take some time and spend it with family and friends this season.

Nightmare Before Christmas
As most of you know, Christmas and Christmas Eve fall on a Saturday and Sunday. While we continue to be able to trip improve off of holiday trips, the fact that these holidays fall on both weekend days presents a new problem that we have not had to confront before. You can still trip improve off of your trip but if your trip works over Saturday, Sunday or both you will be obligated to work those days regardless if you trip improve or not. There really is no way to sugarcoat the issue. There are many examples I will try and go over. For example, if you have a four day trip leaving Wednesday and pick up a trip short of flying Christmas Eve, you will automatically put on the A/I List for Saturday. When scheduling gets to you for future coverage for Saturday, you will at least be required to take a one day trip. If no one day trip exists (more than likely there will be none available), you will be assigned what ever trips are open. That means you may end up flying beyond just Saturday. The only FAR that scheduling must follow is the 35/7 rule. Of course if you are not legal to fly a trip it may become a dependability issue. If you have a trip which covers both weekend days, you will be obligated to fly both weekend days. It doesn't mean it must be your own trip but you are obligated to fly due to the current weekend obligation language. Like I said there is no way to sugarcoat the issue as others may try and do. I would strongly suggest that you call one of your officers prior to trip improving if you have any questions. Please do so before you have a problem with scheduling. There is little we can do after the fact if scheduling is following the contractual language surrounding the weekend obligation issue. 

Nightmare Before Christmas, Part II
Sometimes the good news just keeps on coming. Recently Kip Hawley, Director of the Transportation Security Administration, proposed sweeping changes to the list of prohibited items that can be carried aboard commercial aircraft. Among the many items are scissors with blades up to 4 inches in length and screwdrivers up to 7 inches. The question I have been getting from flight attendants and the press is "What are they thinking?" To be honest I have no idea other than the fact that it appears the former head of FEMA, Michael Brown, must be pulling the strings at TSA. AFA and our many activists have been lobbying Congress about this issue for months. Prior to the announcement by TSA, many members of Congress sent letters to The Department of Homeland Security to stop the proposed changes. This had great support on both sides of the aisle. As of December 7, a bill was introduced in the House of Representatives to stop the changes legislatively. The bill is HR 4452 titled "Leave No Blade Behind" and was introduced by Rep Markey (D-MA) and Rep. Crowley (D-NY). It is very important for each flight attendant to contact their representatives to not only support this legislation but to co-sponsor as well. 

Below are some of the local contact information for your representatives:

Rep. Jim Moran. Contact Tim Aiken at tim.aiken@mail.house.gov or 202-225-4376
Rep. Frank Wolf. Contact J.T. Griffin at jtgriffin@mail.house.gov or 202-225-5136
Rep. Chris Van Hollen. Contact Ken Cummings at ken.cummings@mail.house.gov or 202-225-5341.

If you don't know your representative you can log onto www.house.gov and it will provide you information you need to contact your representative. Remember, they work for you! This is not an issue that we can afford to sit on the sidelines. If you don't contact your representative they can not read your minds. If you have any questions about what to say call one of your local officers. All of us have lobbied Congress on this issue recently. When meeting with Congress, we have told members and staff that surrounding this issue you are either with us or against us. We don't care if you are a democrat or republican, you are with us or against us. These changes are scheduled for December 22; we hope that with many co-sponsors on this bill that the changes will not go into effect. A Senate version of the bill is scheduled to be introduced the week of December 12. 

After the announcement by the TSA to lift the ban on these items, I emailed Doug Parker (CEO US Airways) and encouraged him to write the TSA in support of the flight attendants and to stop these proposals. After 2 emails I have yet to hear from Mr. Parker. In my emails I stressed that if safety is the primary concern for US Airways then he should stand behind the flight attendants in our fight to protect not only ourselves but the passengers as well. Also in my email I stated that if he decided to remain silent it would send a loud message to the flight attendants that safety truly is not the primary concern when it comes to the flight attendants. To date I have yet to hear from Mr. Parker, he has done nothing when it comes to this issue in support of the flight attendants and, unfortunately, I expect nothing from Mr. Parker on this issue. It is clear that we are on our own. It is also rare when I will speak out against another union but when it comes to this issue I must. The leadership at ALPA has been silent on this in support of the flight attendants. I am often asked by the press why and the only response I have is that they are behind a steel door and some of them have a gun. I am disgusted by this lack of support from the ALPA leadership and can only hope that in the future they will see the light. Being politically correct is not something I'm known for and at my age why start now.

In Solidarity,

Alin Boswell
LEC President, Council 41
Association of Flight Attendants