This is APA Communications Committee Chairman Captain Sam Mayer with an updated APA Information Hotline for Wednesday, October 7.

Also, the Board conducted Scope Committee elections today, with First Officer Per Lovfald, First Officer Bron Madrigan and First Officer Scott Nielson now making up that committee. The Board elected First Officer Madrigan to chair that committee.

Today’s meeting agenda also included a budget discussion relating to the Strategic Planning Committee’s proposals.

The Board recessed its meeting shortly before 4 p.m. and is scheduled to reconvene at APA headquarters on Monday, Oct. 26.

INTENSIVE MEDIATION EFFORT FAILS TO PRODUCE AN AGREEMENT TO RESOLVE JBA ARBITRATION: As we reported earlier today, an intensive mediated bargaining effort by APA’s negotiating team involving the close coordination of the APA National Officers, Board of Directors and select national committee members was conducted with AMR management under the guidance of Arbitrator Stephen Goldberg. The multi-day effort, which included a late-night analysis session by the APA leadership, failed to produce an agreement containing the necessary and adequate Scope protections that both parties could agree to relative to AMR’s proposed Joint Business Agreement with British Airways and Iberia. The parties remained deadlocked on the issue of job protections, reaching an impasse this morning.

The arbitration proceeding will reconvene in executive session at a later date when Arbitrator Goldberg meets with the system board to finalize his award. As details of the arbitration ruling become available, we will provide them to the membership.

That’s it for today. Thanks again for checking this hotline.