Nov. 15, 2007, 5:36PM

Bond co-sponsors bill to extend airline workers' recall rights
© 2007 The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS — Laid-off American Airlines attendant Roger Graham is applauding a decision by Sen. Kit Bond to co-sponsor a bill that would extend recall rights at certain airlines. Graham, from St. Charles, is organizing the ex-TWA attendants who are fighting to get their old jobs back.

He says he's elated that Bond, a Republican, and Sen. ClaireMcCaskill, a Democrat, have joined forces on this nonpartisan issue."It makes me proud to be a Missourian," he said.

The bill, introduced by McCaskill, would extend recall rights to 10 years at airlines, including American, that received federal moneyafter Sept. 11, 2001.

American to extend recall rights for former TWA flight attendants
Tim Logan
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

11/01/2007 12:00:00 AM

At last, 410 ex-TWA flight attendants who lost their jobs five years ago are getting some good news. Not their jobs back. Not yet. But a reprieve, at least, for two months, while American Airlines, their union and Sen. Claire McCaskill try and hash out a deal that would give them and 1,050 of their colleagues a shot at flying again.

Friday, in a news conference at Lambert Field, McCaskill will announce that American will extend the recall rights of 410 laid-off flight attendants that were due to expire today. The extension will run through the end of the year, she said, buying time for all sides to keep negotiating a permanent settlement.

The airline declined to comment before McCaskill's announcement, but a source there confirmed the news. It's the result of months of "shuttle diplomacy" between the senator, the airline and the Association of Professional Flight Attendants over the fate of some 1,460 ex-TWA attendants who lost their jobs after Sept. 11 and the company's merger, and who have been watching their five-year recall rights wind down.

There was enough progress in talks between the union and the airline, McCaskill said, that American agreed to keep the group laid off on Nov. 1, 2002 on the recall list for another two months."It's a major step forward on American's part," McCaskill said. She's been speaking up on the issue since her campaign for Senate in 2006, which was supported by many ex-TWA workers in Missouri. She has been working on measure to better manage airline mergers. And in July, she proposed a bill that would grant 10-year recall rights to any worker laid off after 9/11 by an airline, like American, that received federal assistance. So far, that bill has gained little traction in Congress, but it has strong labor support and helped start conversations between American and the APFA, McCaskill said.

Those led to a sit-down in her Washington office a few weeks ago with top executives from the airline and the union, and talks are continuing."I'm going to remain optimistic that both sides are going to do the right thing," McCaskill said. "And I am more than happy to use the pressure of my office to help these 1,400 people who've been treated very unfairly."For the ex-TWA flight attendants, who were put at the bottom of union seniority lists in the merger with American and all lost their jobs in the waves of layoffs after 9/11, the news was most welcome. About 1,000 have already fallen off the list and last week, 410 got letters saying they were next. Now that group has another chance.

"This is the most wonderful thing that could happen to those people," said Roger Graham, a flight attendant from St. Charles who's been leading the recall effort. "I'm at a loss for words."Graham says his group will keep up the pressure, and push for a deal that will make the extension permanent.

While American has recalled 660 flight attendants this year, some say it's been reluctant to extend recall rights because it would rather hire younger, less-expensive attendants after the last furloughees drop off the list in July. But it is entering negotiations with the APFA on a new contract, and may be able to cut a deal on something else. Both sides are watching the Federal Aviation Administration re-authorization bill, currently before Congress, and would like an ally in McCaskill, who sits on the Senate panel that oversees the airline industry.

tlogan@post-dispatch.com 314-340-8291

Former TWA attendants appeal to airlines' CEO
By CHERYL WITTENAUER, AP
Posted: 2007-10-22 16:13:20

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Former TWA flight attendants who are fighting to get their old jobs back have made a plea to American Airlines' chief executive officer. In an Oct. 15 letter, they asked CEO Gerard Arpey to reach an agreement with their union to extend the recall rights of workers who were furloughed as a result of the September 2001 terrorist attacks.

American has discussed, but not come to an agreement with the union, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, about extending recall rights, airline spokeswoman Tami McLallen said."We remain open to discussing this issue but are bound by the current collective bargaining agreement," she said.American recalled 460 ex-TWA flight attendants in August, but more than 400 will have their recall rights expire in November.

That's in addition to 1,500 flight attendants that American says already have lost their recall rights, including 663 former TWA flight attendants. The ex-TWA attendants say another 1,400 from their ranks will have their recall rights expire through next July. Laid-off attendant Roger Graham from St. Charles, who's organizing the ex-TWA attendants, said the age of the ex-TWA flight attendants - 40 to 73 - and length of time spent with the airlines - 15 to 40 years - make it difficult to find comparable jobs and pensions. "These same workers have exhausted their savings, lost their homes, filed bankruptcy, and (been) forced to relocate and downsize," he wrote to Arpey. "The hardships have been catastrophic."

Graham said the group supports a bill introduced by Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., that would extend recall rights to 10 years at airlines, including American, that received federal money after Sept. 11, 2001.McCaskill spokeswoman Adrianne Marsh said Monday the bill is going to the Health Education Labor and Pensions Senate Committee. McLallen said American also has met with McCaskill. Graham said the former ex-TWA workers are hopeful that McCaskill's bill, mediation, or the "good nature of one man" will help them extend their recall rights."We're in the ninth inning," he said.

American parent AMR Corp. bought TWA out of bankruptcy in early 2001. The union representing American's flight attendants put their TWA counterparts at the bottom of the seniority ladder, meaning the TWA workers were first to lose their jobs as AMR slashed thousands of jobs.Last year, the ex-TWA flight attendants picketed their union, claiming it was not representing all its members fairly. The union later agreed to do what it could to get the ex-TWA attendants back to work. The union did not return a phone call seeking comment.

On the Net:
American Airlines: http://www.aa.com/.
Association of Professional Flight Attendants http://www.apfa.org/
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press.

NEARLY 600 TO BE DROPPED FROM RECALL LISTS!

MASSIVE EFFORTS EXPAND FOR RECALL EXTENSION, AS HUNDREDS MORE DROP OFF RECALL LISTS IN THE NEXT TEN DAYS!

Unions and the public support McCaskill proposal to extend recall rights of airline workers.

Thousands call the Congressional Switchboard in Washington D.C.
Contact the Congressional operator in the Nation's Capital. Please ask to be connected to YOUR Senator's office!
TOLL FREE NUMBER 800-828-0498!

An online petition to the U.S. Congress has collected more than 11,400 signatures in support of the legislation. To sign the petition, PLEASE VISIT: www.petitiononline.com/911AID/petition.html

Washington - Support is growing in organized labor for a bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) that would extend the recall rights of airline workers laid off in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The proposal Senate Bill 1992 would extend recall rights of airline workers to 10 years if the air carrier received more than $100 million after the attacks or future government bailouts. Former TWA flight attendants are elated with the legislation because more than 1,000 of them have been terminated from the recall list and thousands more will be receiving their termination letters between now and July 2008 from American Airlines, which bought Trans World Airlines in 2001.

Former TWA attendants have been campaigning since June 2006 to have their recall rights extended because of the extenuating circumstances of 9/11. “We should not be allowed to become the collateral damage of 9/11 or corporate greed,” said longtime attendant Toni Delia. “American Airlines has the ability to sign a letter of agreement with the Flight Attendants union to extend the recall rights,“ Delia said. “They have already gotten a government bailout and wage concessions and have saved millions since the terminations began, while the executives collected million-dollar bonuses. “Now they have the audacity to want something in exchange for extending the recall rights,“ she said.

After 9/11, thousands of airline workers were laid off and a proportionate number have been terminated from the recall list, with more to follow. Without the McCaskill proposal, industry veterans will be terminated from their jobs placing their pension, insurance and benefits in peril. “The taxpayer has bailed out this industry, and airline executives are collecting multi-million dollar bonuses as workers are being terminated from the recall list,“ said industry veteran Roger Graham. “It is time for Congress to take a stand.“

McCaskill's bill has the support of unions representing almost 4 million members. The unions, the Association of Flight Attendants, Association of Professional Flight Attendants, Communication Workers, Teamsters, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Jobs with Justice, Sheet Metal Workers Local 36, Transport Workers Local 530, Central Trades and Labor Council, Greater St. Louis Labor Council and the Uniform Fire Fighters Association of Greater New York.

“Prior to 9/11, five-year recall rights were considered the norm and acceptable within the airline industry,“ Graham said. “However, in a post-9/11 era, they are not. America is only as strong as its ability to preserve jobs.”

Support Flight Attendants and All Airline Employees To Extend Recall Rights, As Many Lose Jobs After Years of Service!

AMERICAN AIRLINES RECALLS 460 FLIGHT ATTENDANTS BUT...

1,500 STILL AWAITING RECALL...430 MORE FALL OFF RECALL LIST, RECEIVE TERMINATION LETTERS IN NOVEMBER 2007

Many of these airline workers are without jobs, pensions and no health insurance! They have exhausted their life savings, cleaned out IRAs and 401 K's. These loyal airline workers should not become collateral damage of a terrorist act on our soil!

Immediately following 9/11, the airline industry received a government bailout in the form of cash payments and loan guarantees, costing U.S. taxpayers, billions of dollars. Since then, airline management paid hundreds of millions of dollars in executive bonuses. Airline employees have become economic victims of excessive executive compensation. (greed)

Senator McCaskill's Bill, S.1992, will remedy the situation for all AIRLINE workers. S. 1992 only provides an extension of recall rights for those aviation employees who were furloughed from air carriers (post 9/11) and whose respective carrier received U. S. Government compensation for closure of the nation's air transportation system. Plain and simple!

This legislation grants an extension of recall rights to certain groups of employees under very narrow and period certain circumstances. It does not impinge on any one union's collective bargaining agreement, nor, does it alter or in any other way change their current language. It only applies to the airline industry. Nothing more!

The Organizations named below, representing millions of their combined members, have committed their support to this bill. We look forward to your support of S.1992 , saving thousands of jobs, pensions and providing protection to the U.S. aviation workforce in the event of future attacks.

*ASSOCIATION OF FLIGHT ATTENDANTS (AFA) *

*AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE, COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES (AFSCME)

*ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL FLIGHT ATTENDANTS (APFA)

*COMMUNICATION WORKERS OF AMERICA (CWA)

*INTERNATIONAL AIRCRAFT MECHANICS FRATERNAL ASSOCIATION (AMFA)

*BROTHERHOOD OF TEAMSTERS (IBT)

*TRANSPORT WORKERS UNION 530 (TWU)

*SHEET METAL WORKERS 36 (SMW)

*JOBS WITH JUSTICE (JWJ)

The GREATER ST. LOUIS LABOR COUNCIL, AFL-CIO-representing 150,000 members has endorsed S.1992 and represent the following:

*American Postal Workers Union and Automotive Lodge #777 CWA, Local #6310

*District #837 Fire Fighters, Local #2665 and IBEW, Local #1 Iron Workers, Local #396

*Labor Tribune M&I Institutional Trust Services and Machinists District No. 9

*Operating Engineers, Local #148 and Outreach & Extension University of MO

*Painters District #2 and Pattonville Fire Protection District

*Pulaski Bank St. Louis and Seafarers International Union SEIU, Local #1

*Sheet Metal Workers, Local #36 and Sprinkler Fitters, Local #268

*Teamsters, Local #610 and Teamsters, Local #688 UFCW, Local #655

Please visit their website at: http://www.stlouislabor.org/

PLEASE click on these links below to sign this online petition extending recall rights! Send a letter to your Senators!

(pre-written, just click and send!!)
or call the Capital Switchboard in Washington, D.C TOLL FREE, ASK FOR SUPPORT FOR S. 1992.

OPERATOR WILL ASK FOR YOUR ZIP CODE AND THAT'S IT...HOW EASY CAN IT GET?

Please take a moment, Call 1-800-828-0498

http://capwiz.com/apfa/issues/alert/?alertid=10057811

Send a letter directly to your Senators!

http://www.petitiononline.com/911AID/petition.html

This petition is going straight to Congress. Time is of the essence!
Please do it now and forward to as many people as you are able to!

Five Year Recall Rights must be extended to each and every airline employee!

The tragic events of 9/11 should not be used as an excuse to prevent employees from returning to the jobs they loved!

Please support Senate Bill S.1992 authored by Senator Claire McCaskill, D. Mo

Five year recall rights must be extended to ALL furloughees!

Missouri Senator (elect) Claire McCaskill

vows to help former TWA'ers win extended recall rights!

Claire
McCaskill

For US Senate

St. Louis
P.O. Box 6771 • St. Louis, MO 63144
Phone : 314-918-8683

(VOTE)
CLAIRE
Fax: 314-918-8696

Kansas City:
6614 Blue Ridge Blvd. • Raytown, MO 64133
McCaskill
Mc Caskill Phone:
816-356-1659
FOR U.S. SENATE
Fax: 816-358-7134

October 30, 2006

Dear Former TWA Flight Attendants,

I am writing to express my public commitment to the issue of F/A furlough recall rights.

If I am elected as U.S. Senator from Missouri, I plan to pursue direct involvement in talks between APFA and American Airlines for the express purpose of extending furlough rights for those F/As affected by 9/11. This would include retroactive extension for F/As whose five years have already expired. It is apparent to me that American Airlines has received millions of dollars in post 9/11 recovery funds, and that the same recovery benefits have not been extended to those furloughed. I also plan, if elected, to investigate the possibility of legislation to correct this injustice.

TWA has a proud heritage in Missouri, and the former TWA employees can hold their heads high remembering their work. The unfair treatment of those same employees is an issue I hope I have the opportunity to address.

Claire McCaskill

www.ClaireOnline.com
Paid for by McCaskill for Missouri.
28

Debate video between then candidates Senator Jim Talent and candidate Claire McCaskill...

Talent pledges to "send a letter to TWA" (but TWA has been gone for years)

Claire McCaskill, on the other hand gets to the point...millions given to AA after 9/11 to keep AA afloat...but AA refuses to recall or even extend 5 year recall rights to former TWA, now AA flight attendants!

Please click on the light blue link below:

Debate in St. Louis between Talent and McCaskill...the TWA question

Courtesy of KSDK, St. Louis

Then candidate Claire McCaskill, now Senator McCaskill, keeps her word to trump the opposition and vows to do the right thing...political pressure... and legislation...and keeps her word! Help former TWA flight attendants win an opportunity to return to their jobs!

Joplin Independant

AA Executive Bonuses Driven By Taxpayer Dollars

May 1, 2007

St. Louis - American Airlines CEO Gerard Arpey and over 874 senior managers received millions in shares of stock based upon the April 18, 2007 closing stock price. The approximate $160 million payout leaves the laid-off employees of the former TWA fuming.

Immediately following the 9/11 attacks, American was on the verge of bankruptcy and received a government bailout in the form of cash payments and loan guarantees that totaled approximately $840 million, while simultaneously American Airlines was laying off the entire flight attendant work force of the newly acquired TWA.

Congress and the TWA employees were promised a fair and equitable integration of the work groups but managed to sidestep these promises once approval was given. Today, the very same former TWA employees are still without jobs and being permanently severed as their five-year recall rights to their positions expire.

Just days after American’s executives lined their pockets with an approximate $160 million in bonuses, CEO Gerard Arpey during a meeting with analysts hinted he holds little hope for these laid-off employees ever returning due to the contractual five year recall rights with American’s flight attendant union.

Roger Graham an 18-year veteran of the former TWA states, “Mr. Arpey knows full well that the issue of extending these recall rights of these employees (that were affected by 9/11) can easily be solved with a letter of agreement with the flight attendant union.”

The excessive bonuses coupled with terminated and laid-off employees may leave the U.S. taxpayer wondering how American Airlines spent their 9/11 taxpayer funded bailout. While labor strife abounds over the bonuses, the public should be questioning whether it was their tax dollars that saved the airline and elevated the stock price that is now becoming a windfall for a few corporate barons.

Graham stated, “Under a bill that the house began debating last month, shareholders would have the right to a non-binding vote on the pay packages of senior executives. Perhaps, it is now time, that taxpayers have the same vote when it comes to a government bailout.”

Local 530, TWU AFL-CIO supports extended recall efforts for furloughed flight attendants at AA

February 12, 2007

Local 530 of the Transport Workers Union of America supports the efforts of the former TWA Flight Attendants in their quest to have extended recall rights at American Airlines.

We recognize that the Flight Attendants were victims of the 2001 terrorist attacks that devastated this nation’s airlines. American Airlines furloughed all TWA Flight attendants and unfortunately their 5 year recall window has expired.

We believe recall rights for all Flight Attendants should be extended. We believe the extension would be a fair resolution to a travesty suffered by Flight Attendants affected by acts of terrorism.

The leadership of Local 530 would like to extend any help or advice that Mary Pat Taylor and her team may need in their efforts to secure an equitable resolution in this matter.

We are asking our membership to support us in helping our Brothers and Sisters.


Local 530 E-Board

Movement in Dallas as APFA sells bricks, (see above post) does many side agreements with AA, but NO RECALL EXTENSION!

If APFA can do side agreements with AA, they can certainly do a side agreement to EXTEND RECALL RIGHTS!

htttp://cbs11tv.com/video/?id=12823@ktvt.dayport.com

I was there in Euless folks, all day, and we did make progress. More than in the past three years! APFA knows we will NOT GO AWAY!

The print and television media were given this blog address. Bottom line...we want our recall rights extended and our jobs back!

Some flight attendants are ignorant of the REAL facts regarding TWA bankrupcty!

This is from a F/A whose
...facts are incorrect about AA
acquiring TWA's assets!

**TWA was NOT liquidated as in a Chapter 7

Um...correct me if im wrong but twa was aquired by AMR out of bankrupcy liquidation. **When a company is mismanaged and fails there isnt much an employee can do but hang on for the descent into history. So although the original poster may or may not be be a American Flight Attendant, he/she didnt steal your job, your former CEO's put you there. Any good financial advisor would have told you to go back to school years ago (yes years, about the time Carl Icahn was around) and you wouldnt have been dumped on the street a la PAN AM EASTERN and a hoard of other companies that went under due to mismanagement and labor rules.
**TWA was NOT liquidated as in a Chapter 7. TWA's asset's were purchased by AMR, including all employees!

The events of 9/11...how did they affect you? Tell us on this blog!

What is your opinion and what are your thoughts. The job you loved is gone. Now is the time to tell the world how YOU feel.

Never Forget Trans World Airlines Terminal 5 at JFK Airport

All former (TWA) AA Flight Attendants were LAID OFF AS OF JULY 2003.

All former TWA'ers are on the street and some will lose recall rights at American this Fall as the APFA union only gives a 5 year recall window. Not recalled in 5 years, you are basically left with NOTHING after many years of service at TWA, some nearly 50 years.

Recall rights extension is the morally right thing to do for all who have been furloughed!