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Majority in House of Representatives Now Supports “Fair FAA” Act - (4/28/2006)
WASHINGTON – A majority of lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives now supports a bill that would stop the Federal Aviation Administration from unilaterally imposing a contract on air traffic controllers on June 5, thereby exacerbating a growing staffing crisis. And while support for the “Fair FAA” Act to usher in the return of a fair and accountable process to collective bargaining has reached 229 co-sponsors, including 59 Republicans, several lawmakers are also urging the FAA to return to the bargaining table with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. NATCA has also formally asked FAA Administrator Marion Blakey to reopen talks.
“Congress is hearing the voice of the American people on this critical issue and their message is loud and clear: don’t let the FAA fly in the face of fairness and safety in the skies,” said John Carr, President of NATCA. “It’s time the FAA stopped playing political games and did what’s best for aviation safety and the taxpayer. It’s time for the FAA to get back to the bargaining table.”
Blakey continues to refuse to re-open negotiations. This week, she rejected a formal request by NATCA to return to the table, despite clear evidence that further negotiations could be productive. The FAA’s current offer would create a situation where veteran controllers are penalized for remaining in their jobs – one in four could retire by next year, exacerbating the current staffing crisis and leading to fewer and fewer controllers guiding more planes.
“The stakes could not be higher for the safety and the integrity of the aviation system,” said Carr. “The FAA must back away from the precipice and commit itself to a solution that safeguards safety and fairness. We’re committed to a voluntary agreement – that’s why our final offer would have saved taxpayers $1.4 billion and cost the average air traffic controller over $93,000 over the life of the contract.”
The “Fair FAA” Act currently has the following support in the House of Representatives (See below for a full list):
Total co-sponsors: 229
Democrats: 169
Republicans: 59
Independent: 1
More Background:
The FAA’s negotiations with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) were in progress from July 2005 until April 5. Despite the fact that most articles in the talks were agreed to in just 9 months – the fastest progress in the FAA’s history of talks with its employee unions – the Administration called impasse in an attempt to impose its contract on controllers. This was despite the fact that controllers offered a five year pay freeze that would have saved taxpayers $1.4 billion.
The FAA believes that in the event of a breakdown in negotiations – an impasse – the agency can send the contract to Congress, providing it the opportunity to get involved. If Congress chooses not to act, then the FAA believes it can unilaterally impose its last, best contract offer on its employees, essentially gutting collective bargaining rights.
The bipartisan legislation currently under consideration by Congress would create a three-step process to restore accountability and fairness to the negotiating system:
A) MEDIATION – If the FAA does not reach agreement with the union, the parties will use the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service to try and make a deal.
B) CONGRESSIONAL ACTION – If using FMCS does not result in an agreement, the FAA can send its contract offer to Congress, along with the union’s objections to the disputed portions of the offer. The FAA could not implement the offer unless a bill is enacted into law that specifically approves the offer.
C) BINDING ARBITRATION – If a bill is not enacted within 60 days of Congress receiving the FAA’s offer, the agency and the union must take their dispute to binding arbitration.
Alphabetical List of FAA Supporters (224):
First Last State Party Affiliation
Neil Abercrombie HI D
Gary Ackerman NY D
Rodney Alexander LA R
Thomas Allen ME D
Robert Andrews NJ D
Joe Baca CA D
Brian Baird WA D
Tammy Baldwin WI D
John Barrow GA D
Charles Bass NH R
Melissa Bean IL D
Xavier Becerra CA D
Shelley Berkley NV D
Howard Berman CA D
Marion Berry AR D
Michael Bilirakis FL R
Sanford Bishop GA D
Timothy Bishop NY D
Earl Blumenauer OR D
Sherwood Boehlert NY R
Mary Bono CA R
Dan Boren OK D
Leonard Boswell IA D
Rick Boucher VA D
Allen Boyd FL D
Jeb Bradley NH R
Robert Brady PA D
Corrine Brown FL D
Sherrod Brown OH D
Ginny Brown-Waite FL R
Shelley Moore Capito WV R
Lois Capps CA D
Michael Capuano MA D
Benjamin Cardin MD D
Dennis Cardoza CA D
Russ Carnahan MO D
Julia Carson IN D
Ed Case HI D
Ben Chandler KY D
Donna Christensen VI D
Lacy Clay MO D
Emanuel Cleaver MO D
James Clyburn SC D
Tom Cole OK R
John Conyers Jr. MI D
Jon Corter NV R
Jim Costa CA D
Jerry Costello IL D
Bud Cramer Jr. AL D
Joseph Crowley NY D
Elijah Cummings MD D
Artur Davis AL D
Danny Davis IL D
Jim Davis FL D
Lincoln Davis TN D
Geoff Davis KY R
Jo Ann Davis VA R
Susan Davis CA D
Peter DeFazio OR D
Diana DeGette CO D
William Delahunt MA D
Rosa DeLauro CT D
Charles Dent PA R
Lincoln Diaz-Balart FL R
Norman Dicks WA D
John Dingell MI D
Michael Doyle PA D
Chet Edwards TX D
Jo Ann Emerson MO R
Phil English PA R
Anna Eshoo CA D
Bob Etheridge NC D
Lane Evans IL D
Sam Farr CA D
Chaka Fattah PA D
Bob Filner CA D
Michael Fitzpatrick PA R
Mark Foley FL R
Luis Fortuno PR R
Barney Frank MA D
LoBiondo Frank NJ R
Jim Gerlach PA R
Jim Gibbons NV R
Charles Gonzalez TX D
Bart Gordon TN D
Al Green TX D
Gene Green TX D
Raul Grijalva AZ D
Luis Gutierrez IL D
Melissa Hart PA R
Jane Harman CA D
Alcee Hastings FL D
Joel Hefley CO R
Stephanie Herseth SD D
Brian Higgins NY D
Maurice Hinchey NY D
Ruben Hinojosa TX D
Tim Holden PA D
Rush Holt NJ D
Michael Honda CA D
Darlene Hooley OR D
Steny Hoyer MD D
Jay Inslee WA D
Steve Isreal NY D
William Jefferson LA D
Eddie Bernice Johnson TX D
Timothy Johnson IL R
Paul Kanjorski PA D
Marcy Kaptur OH D
Sue Kelly NY R
Patrick Kennedy RI D
Dale Kildee MI D
Carolyn Kilpatrick MI D
Ron Kind WI D
Peter King NY R
Mark Steven Kirk IL R
John Kline MN R
Dennis Kucinich OH D
James Langevin RI D
Tom Lantos CA D
Rick Larsen WA D
John Larson CT D
Barbara Lee CA D
Ron Lewis KY R
Daniel Lipinski IL D
Zoe Lofgren CA D
Nita Lowey NY D
Stephen Lynch MA D
Carolyn Maloney NY D
Donald Manzullo IL R
Kenny Marchant TX R
Edward Markey MA D
Jim Marshall GA D
Jim Matheson UT D
Doris Matsui CA D
Carolyn McCarthy NY D
Betty McCollum MN D
Thaddeus McCotter MI R
Jim McDermott WA D
James McGovern MA D
John McHugh NY R
Mike McIntyre NC D
Michael McNulty NY D
Martin Meehan MA D
Kendrick Meek FL D
Gregory Meeks NY D
Charlie Melancon LA D
McCaul Michael TX R
Michael Michaud ME D
Juanita Millender-McDonald CA D
Brad Miller NC D
Dennis Moore KS D
Gwen Moore WI D
James Moran VA D
Tim Murphy PA R
Jerrold Nadler NY D
Richard Neal MA D
Robert Ney OH R
Eleanor Holmes Norton DC D
Solomon Ortiz TX D
Major Owens NY D
Frank Pallone NJ D
Bill Pascrell Jr. NJ D
Ed Pastor AZ D
Ron Paul TX R
Donald Payne NJ D
Stevan Pearce NM R
Nancy Pelosi CA D
Collin Peterson MN D
Todd Russell Platts PA R
Ted Poe TX R
Richard Pombo CA R
Earl Pomeroy ND D
Deborah Pryce OH R
Nick Rahall Jr. WV D
Jim Ramstad MN R
Dennis Rehberg MT R
David Reichert WA R
Rick Renzi AZ R
Silvestre Reyes TX D
Mike Ross AR D
Steven Rothman NJ D
Dutch Ruppersberger MD D
Bobby Rush IL D
Tim Ryan OH D
Paul Ryan WI R
Martin Olav Sabo MN D
John Salazar CO D
Linda Sanchez CA D
Loretta Sanchez CA D
Bernard Sanders VT I
Janice Schakowsky IL D
Adam Schiff CA D
Allyson Schwartz PA D
John (Joe) Schwarz MI R
Robert Scott VA D
Jose Serrano NY D
Christopher Shays CT R
Brad Sherman CA D
Don Sherwood PA R
Rob Simmons CT R
Louise McIntosh Slaughter NY D
Adam Smith WA D
Vic Snyder AR D
Hilda Solis CA D
John Spratt SC D
Fortney Pete Stark CA D
Ted Strickland OH D
John Sweeney NY R
Ellen Tauscher CA D
Bennie Thompson MS D
Mike Thompson CA D
Todd Tiahrt KS R
Patrick Tiberi OH R
John Tierney MA D
Mark Udall CO D
Tom Udall NM D
Nydia Velazquez NY D
Peter Visclosky IN D
James Walsh NY R
Debbie Wasserman Schultz FL D
Maxine Waters CA D
Diane Watson CA D
Anthony Weiner NY D
Curt Weldon PA R
Robert Wexler FL D
Frank Wolf VA R
Lynn Woolsey CA D
David Wu OR D
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