American attendants: Contract concessions can't be permanent DALLAS (AP) =97 The union representing 23,000 American Airlines flight=20 attendants declared its willingness to work with the company on financial=20 concerns, but rejected a proposal to give the airline permanent contract=20 concessions. After wrapping up a two-day meeting in Washington, D.C., the=20 governing body of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants passed= =20 a resolution Wednesday night addressing the company's requests in recent=20 weeks for contract concessions. Separately, a comment by an American=20 executive stirred speculation that the company might spin off a new=20 low-cost carrier to compete with rivals such as Southwest Airlines. Jeffrey= =20 Campbell, American's chief financial officer, said large carriers have a=20 poor record of trying to operate smaller carriers as subsidiaries. But, he= =20 added, "We would be foolish at American and (parent company) AMR to not be= =20 giving it very serious thought" because Delta has announced plans to launch= =20 a low-fare airline called Song along the East Coast, and United has said it= =20 is considering the idea. A spokesman for Fort Worth, Texas-based American=20 said Campbell's comment only reiterated American's stance of considering=20 all options to improve its business. Of the AFPA resolution, union=20 spokesman George Price said "the APFA is more than willing to do our part=20 to address the company's financial concerns at an appropriate time. But if= =20 our board chooses to accept such concessions, it would be on a temporary=20 and not permanent concession." American, the nation's largest airline,=20 released a statement saying it is pleased flight attendants are committed=20 to act to ensure "that the company is a viable and successful entity." *************************************************** The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site/TnTisland.com Roj (Roger James) escape email mailto:ejames@escape.ca Trinbago site: www.tntisland.com Carib Brass Ctn site www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ Steel Expressions www.mts.net/~ejames/se/ Site of the Week: http://www.boogsie.com/ TnT Webdirectory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************