Contents:

• AFA - US Airways Web Site Down
• From AFA-US Airways Safety Committee:

-  Minimum F/A Crew
-  EOW Operations without EOW Equipment
-  Flight Attendant Security Training
• ITD Flight Attendants - Short Blocks in February
• Protected Holiday - May 27th, Memorial Day
• MEC Special Meeting Notice - April 8 & 9
• Workers Memorial Day, April 28
• No Further Voluntary Furloughs Planned - Recalls Possible
• Displacements for May
• New Jumpseat Award Procedure
• Local Council Elections - DCA & PHL

On behalf of AFA - US Airways we apologize for the inconvenience of having the website not operational. Due to some technical difficulties with the Domain Registrars now solved, our web site should be operational in 24 to 48 hours. All afausairways.org email addresses are also affected by this problem. 

We again apologize for this inconvenience.
 
Thank you,

C.A. Cannaday
Web Site Administrator
AFA - US Airways

From AFA-US Airways Safety Committee:
-  Minimum F/A Crew
-  EOW Operations without EOW Equipment
-  Flight Attendant Security Training

Minimum F/A Crew

The FAA-required minimum crew MUST be on board at origination, termination and at through stops DURING boarding and deplaning according to FAR 121.391. On through stops, however, when passengers are NOT boarding or deplaning, the crew can be reduced.

If you encounter difficulties such as being unable to contact the gate agent to advise of a duplicate seating problem, please file a Cabin Safety Report and leave a copy in the mailfile of your local safety committee.

We are required BY LAW to be on the aircraft for SAFETY, not for customer service.  If you have problems with compliance with this FAR, it is up to the company to resolve them.  Don't jeopardize the safety of your passengers and fellow crewmembers by getting off the aircraft for customer service reasons.

Write up all conflicts regarding this issue!

F/As Required for Passenger Boarding & Deplaning by Aircraft Type

  A-319, A-320, F-100, MD-80, 737 = 3
  A-321, 757 = 4
  767 = 5
  A-330 = 8

EOW Operations without EOW Equipment

Flight Attendants have expressed concern that we are operating aircraft on the Caribbean routes without over-water equipment.  The Safety Committee has spoken with the FAA and ALPA Safety about this issue.  We have been assured that the waiver to operate in this manner is standard industry practice when a carrier has proven the reliability of engines and aircraft, operational capabilities, and a satisfactory safety record.  The FAA inspects each individual aircraft used for this operation to ensure the appropriate navigational aids and equipment are installed and operational.
 

President Bush signed the Transportation and Aviation Security Act in January.  The Act requires updated security training for airline crewmembers.  The Company has asked the TSA (Transportation Security Administration, formerly known as FAA Security) for a waiver to circumvent their obligation to provide this training for all crewmembers within the required 180-day of compliance.

AFA is working diligently with the TSA and Inflight to ensure that flight attendants receive security training as it is intended by the Act.  This includes classroom instruction and basic self-defense training.  We will keep you posted.

It has been brought to our attention that Flight Attendants in the ITD who had short blocks in February were not paid their guarantees of 80 hours at their applicable rates of pay. After informing management of the problem, we received assurances that the problems with pay discrepancies would be resolved immediately.

International Transoceanic Division Flight Attendants with short blocks in February will be paid International rates of pay as well as any applicable premiums up to 80 hours as originally agreed. The premium rates include senior pay, aft lead pay, galley pay, and LODO.

As a reminder, Monday, May 27th is a Protected Holiday per Section 9 (p.9-2) of the Contract. If you have questions, please contact your Inflight Supervisor.

MEC Special Meeting Notice - April 8 & 9

In accordance with the AFA Constitution and Bylaws Article VII D.2., the MEC President, Karen Lascoli, has called a Special Meeting of the MEC for April 8 & 9, 2002 at 10:00 am. The following shall constitute the agenda:

1. Presentation by Bill Swelbar, AFA Financial Consultant and Airline Analyst
2. Ed Gilmartin, Assistant General Counsel: Presentation on the US Airways Application to the Federal Loan Guarantee Board and Related Legal Topics
3. Clare Burt, AFA Manager of Collective Bargaining: Staff Support Discussion
4. Wilson Center Survey Discussion
5. Negotiating Committee Discussion
6. Communication Discussion on the above-outlined agenda (AFA Staff Support - Dawn Deeks or Jeff Zack)

The meeting will be held at the AFA International Office:

1275 K Street NW, Fifth Floor
Washington, DC

Directions by public transportation to AFA:

From NATIONAL AIRPORT, take METRO BLUE LINE towards ADDISON ROAD. Get off at MCPHERSON SQ METRO STATION. Walk 0.2 mile NE to 1275 K ST NW

On Sunday, April 28, the labor movement will once again observe Workers Memorial Day to remember workers who have been killed or injured on the job, and to renew the fight for strong safety and health protections. This Workers Memorial Day has special significance as we honor those who lost their lives on September 11.

For decades, unions have led the struggle for improving working conditions and dignity and respect on the job. Unions, including AFA, have made the workplace safer by lobbying for passage of laws and federal protections. But more must be done to protect America's workers.

If you'd like to get involved and make a difference on Workers Memorial Day, visit: http://www.aflcio.org/safety/wmd.htm

The company has decided AGAINST offering more Voluntary Furloughs because they forecast an overall need for more Flight Attendants in the future. As a result, the Company could RECALL some Involuntary Furloughees this summer.

At this time, the Company is not sure of how many involuntarily furloughed Flight Attendants could be subject to a recall or when they could be called back. Again, the numbers of any recalls and the effective date are uncertain. As more information is available we will inform you by the Hotline (800) 654-3143, this *E-Line* and the website http://www.afausairways.org.

It is extremely important that all Furloughees (both Voluntary and Involuntary) inform the Company of changes to your home address. The Company will send any Notice of Recall by certified mail to the most recent address provided by the Flight Attendant. The Contract provides only for a short period of time during which you must reply with your intentions to return.

We recommend that you update AFA with any address changes as well.

The Company is planning 222 Flight Attendant displacements in CLT, DCA, and PIT for May.

The Company will notify all affected Flight Attendants by U.S mail and by Company mail-files if active.

The Flight Attendant Agreement provides certain rights for Flight Attendants that are displaced. Please review Section 5 (Moving Expenses) and Section 18 (Filling of Vacancies). Refer to the Q&A posted on the website, http://www.afausairways.org. If you have further questions, please contact your Local Union Office and/or InFlight Supervisor.

A new procedure for awarding the cabin jumpseat(s) will be implemented April 15, 2002 in accordance with the May 2000 Flight Attendant Agreement (see Side Letter 22, page L22-1).  Your MEC, which consists of all Local Council Presidents, voted to implement the new language at a Special MEC Meeting in February 2002.

In order to facilitate the new procedures, please pick up your seniority identification card (SID) at your domicile as soon as possible.

The new procedure is intended to allow more non-reving Flight Attendants to get on a full aircraft.

For example, assume a senior Flight Attendant is awarded the jumpseat. One passenger seat remains for non-revs with a junior Flight Attendant and a ramp agent with greater Company seniority standing by.  Under current procedures, the more senior ramp agent would get the passenger seat and the more junior Flight Attendant would be left behind.

With the new procedure, the senior Flight Attendant would get the passenger seat (if they re senior to the ramp agent) and the junior Flight Attendant would be awarded the jumpseat.  Therefore, more of our Flight Attendants will benefit.

Other things to know once this policy has been implemented:

• Upon checking in with the gate agent you will fill out the jumpseat authorization form.
• The agent will list each Flight Attendant requesting jumpseat authorization, reason for travel, (business or personal) and seniority date from your SID card.
• The jumpseat(s) will be awarded in seniority order after all passenger seats have been assigned.
• You can ride the jumpseat without your SID card but you will be slotted in as the most junior Flight Attendant.  Remember to pick up your SID card and wear it behind your company ID.
• The 30-minute rule will no longer apply.

The nomination stage of the LEC Officer Elections for Councils 41 & 70 has been completed; next is the Election process.  Shortly, the AFA International Office will mail LEC Election ballots to your home address (March 27 for DCA, April 1st for PHL) as per the AFA C&B: "No later than ninety (90) days before the start of the term of office".

Time Lines for Local Elections for LEC Officers

  DCA Council 41
      Election Ballots mailed -              March 27
      Election Ballots must be postmarked -  April 17
      Election Ballots counted -             May   01

  PHL Council 70
      Election Ballots mailed -              April 01
      Election Ballots must be postmarked -  April 22
      Election Ballots counted -             May   06

Make sure your ballot is counted: mail your ballot by the Postmark Date.

The next term of office for Council 41 & 70 LEC Officers will commence July 1, 2002.

Make sure the AFA Membership Department has your current address. Call Irell Thompson at 800-424-2401 x833 or go to: http://www.afausairways.org/addresschange.html

If you are active member you are entitled to receive a ballot.  If you do not receive your ballot, contact your local AFA office or the International Secretary-Treasurer of AFA for a duplicate.

Your Union works best when you participate.