FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 14, 2023
Contact: Jonna Huseman, jhuseman@twu.org
Senate FAA Reauthorization will return jobs to U.S. and save lives
Washington, DC—John Samuelsen, International President of the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU), issues this statement regarding the U.S. Senate’s legislation to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration:
“The bipartisan FAA reauthorization bill, offered by the leadership of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, will make our national air space safer, improve working conditions for airline workers, and return good, union jobs to the U.S.
“This FAA bill will increase safety and security standards at foreign aircraft maintenance facilities, ending FAA incentives that have long driven airlines to offshore good, union jobs. It acknowledges that workers deserve meaningful protections against the threat assault on the job; rejects an attempt from airlines to exempt themselves from state labor standards; helps to ensure aircraft cabin air is safe and free from toxic fumes or harmful chemicals; and ends the unsafe practice of dispatching commercial aircraft from unsecure locations. These important provisions will strengthen our national airspace and ensure commercial air travel remains the safest form of transportation.
“It is unfortunate that the bill also introduces several deeply concerning giveaways to drone manufacturers which prevent us from giving our full-throated support to this legislation. Air taxi, drone delivery, and other aspiring new entrants must be held to the same safety and labor standards that have made the U.S. airspace the safest mode of transportation in history. Last minute changes to the legislation would undermine the future safety of our airspace and undermine the future of the aviation workforce.
“The TWU calls on members of the Senate Commerce Committee to hold the line and advance the vital safety and workforce improvements through the mark-up process, as well as to amend provisions which may allow Amazon and other nefarious actors to abuse our national airspace for their own gain.”