Recall Rights Extended
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jimntx
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Oh, that is a lovely Christmas present indeed! See, all it takes is the threat of Congressional action to get people to do the right thing. 
donttouchthebeauty
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Oh, that is a lovely Christmas present indeed! See, all it takes is the threat of Congressional action to get people to do the right thing.
Hip Hip Hooray, Merry Xmas TWA!!!! Too bad the APFA and AA didn't pull their heads out of their Arses and do the right thing to begin with!!!
galleyguy4u2
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Deal could give jobs back to furloughed TWA fight attendants
By Tim Logan
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
12/21/2007
More than four years after they lost their jobs, about 1,200 ex-TWA flight attendants today will finally get a break.
American Airlines and the union that represents the fight attendants have reached a deal to extend the recall rights of the furloughed attendants by two years, likely ensuring that, if they want to, these industry veterans will work in the sky once again.
It's the resolution of a festering issue in American's purchase of the once-great St. Louis-based airline. After the acquisition in early 2001, TWA flight attendants, many with decades of experience, were stapled to the bottom of their new union's seniority list. That made them the first to be laid off in the industry-wide bloodletting that came after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and the last to be re-hired as American has built back up.
The deal was brokered by Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., who plans to formally announce it this morning at a news conference in St. Louis. With her will be some of the attendants who have been fighting for this issue for two years. Advertisement
Those who live in Missouri organized to help McCaskill in her election last year, and she made their plight a campaign issue. When she landed a seat on the Senate Commerce Committee, which oversees airlines, she pushed bills in Congress to help their cause and she talked repeatedly with American about it.
In recent weeks, her office has been conducting shuttle diplomacy between the airline and the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, said Sean Kennedy, her chief of staff. On Tuesday, American Chief Executive Gerard Arpey told McCaskill he would agree to the extension.
"That woman is pretty amazing. She is a bulldog," said Tommie Hutto-Blake, president of the APFA. "She made some promises and she had every intention of seeing them through."
Throughout, the clock was ticking.
Under the attendants' contract, their rights to their old jobs expired after five years on furlough, and some 1,600 already had fallen off the list. Another 410 were set do so on Jan. 1, when a temporary reprieve negotiated in November ran out. By July, all the laid-off attendants would have been gone.
Keeping them on furlough for two more years likely will cost American more than if it had let their rights expire and hired new, younger attendants. But the airline couldn't say how much the deal will cost, said spokeswoman Sue Gordon, nor how many it thought it might recall in the next two years.
"I don't think we know that yet," Gordon said. "There are a lot of variables."
Still, American has brought back about 900 this year, including 600 formerly of TWA, and at that rate there's likely time for the rest, said Hutto-Blake.
"We're thrilled," she said. "These people are getting the time to come back."
In exchange, the union agreed to withdraw some outstanding grievances that TWA attendants had filed before the merger, but the deal will not require a re-opening of the union's contract with the airline, which had been a stumbling block in earlier negotiations.
tlogan@post-dispatch.com | 314-340-8291
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Tim Logan
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
12/21/2007
More than four years after they lost their jobs, about 1,200 ex-TWA flight attendants today will finally get a break.
American Airlines and the union that represents the fight attendants have reached a deal to extend the recall rights of the furloughed attendants by two years, likely ensuring that, if they want to, these industry veterans will work in the sky once again.
It's the resolution of a festering issue in American's purchase of the once-great St. Louis-based airline. After the acquisition in early 2001, TWA flight attendants, many with decades of experience, were stapled to the bottom of their new union's seniority list. That made them the first to be laid off in the industry-wide bloodletting that came after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and the last to be re-hired as American has built back up.
The deal was brokered by Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., who plans to formally announce it this morning at a news conference in St. Louis. With her will be some of the attendants who have been fighting for this issue for two years. Advertisement
Those who live in Missouri organized to help McCaskill in her election last year, and she made their plight a campaign issue. When she landed a seat on the Senate Commerce Committee, which oversees airlines, she pushed bills in Congress to help their cause and she talked repeatedly with American about it.
In recent weeks, her office has been conducting shuttle diplomacy between the airline and the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, said Sean Kennedy, her chief of staff. On Tuesday, American Chief Executive Gerard Arpey told McCaskill he would agree to the extension.
"That woman is pretty amazing. She is a bulldog," said Tommie Hutto-Blake, president of the APFA. "She made some promises and she had every intention of seeing them through."
Throughout, the clock was ticking.
Under the attendants' contract, their rights to their old jobs expired after five years on furlough, and some 1,600 already had fallen off the list. Another 410 were set do so on Jan. 1, when a temporary reprieve negotiated in November ran out. By July, all the laid-off attendants would have been gone.
Keeping them on furlough for two more years likely will cost American more than if it had let their rights expire and hired new, younger attendants. But the airline couldn't say how much the deal will cost, said spokeswoman Sue Gordon, nor how many it thought it might recall in the next two years.
"I don't think we know that yet," Gordon said. "There are a lot of variables."
Still, American has brought back about 900 this year, including 600 formerly of TWA, and at that rate there's likely time for the rest, said Hutto-Blake.
"We're thrilled," she said. "These people are getting the time to come back."
In exchange, the union agreed to withdraw some outstanding grievances that TWA attendants had filed before the merger, but the deal will not require a re-opening of the union's contract with the airline, which had been a stumbling block in earlier negotiations.
tlogan@post-dispatch.com | 314-340-8291
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nyc6035
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What's the original TWA start year of the lowest seniority FA covered by this agreement?
This is great news for the 1200. It does sound like only a partial victory as, if the article is correct, some 1600 additional won't receive that chance. I'm guessing that last group is made up of about 1000 former TWA and about 600 or so native AA FAs.
This is great news for the 1200. It does sound like only a partial victory as, if the article is correct, some 1600 additional won't receive that chance. I'm guessing that last group is made up of about 1000 former TWA and about 600 or so native AA FAs.
kirkpatrick
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I don't yet have the exact number but I know one FA who was due to drop off on Nov 1, had her recall rights extended for two months while these talks have been going on, and now has her recall rights extended two years. She was hired in 1996.
MK
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Great. Now we can't hire until 2010. Another mistake made by APFA.
Gee, what about all the other furloughs that fell off the list? What about the nAAtives who fell off with only 5 year recall rights? Oh no, leave them on the street. It's all about the crying and complaining former TWA f/a's.
Gee, what about all the other furloughs that fell off the list? What about the nAAtives who fell off with only 5 year recall rights? Oh no, leave them on the street. It's all about the crying and complaining former TWA f/a's.
kirkpatrick
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galleyguy4u2
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In my opinon.... I think AA has somethimg up their sleeve.... With fuel as high as it is, I bet we see AA shink and ground planes. There goes the need to for more F/As...
